Tennessee Data Center News

Oct 23, 2025

Liquid cooling lessons from HPC to AI factories: How to enable next-gen AI data centers

Motivair applies its exascale liquid-cooling expertise to enable AI factories at scale.

Main announcement/action: Motivair is leveraging proven HPC/exascale liquid-cooling systems (used on Frontier, Aurora, El Capitan) to supply modular, repeatable cooling infrastructure for large-scale AI factories, including CDUs, ChilledDoors®, cold plates, and in-rack manifolds, scaling from 100 kW racks to multi-megawatt campuses.
Background and technical details: Highlights key thermal variables — pressure drop, ΔT, and flow rate — with concrete figures: rack densities moved from 20–50 kW (air-cooled) to 300–400 kW (liquid-cooled); recommended flow is ~1–1.5 liters per minute per kW at under 3 PSI; Motivair’s engineered loops aim to stabilize ΔT and maintain GPU clock speeds across thousands of racks.

Oct 16, 2025

Advocating for Public Power Companies: LPPC Focuses on Load Growth, FEMA Reform, and Tax-Exempt Bonds

The Large Public Power Council (LPPC) is advocating federal policy changes to address rapid electricity load growth driven by data centers, AI, and electrification, and is pushing for FEMA process reforms and updates to Treasury rules on tax-exempt bonds.

Main announcement/action: LPPC (29 member public power systems serving 30.5 million consumers across 23 states and territories) is urging Congress and federal agencies to re-examine queue processes, finance mechanisms for large loads, and FEMA procedures to accelerate infrastructure delivery; LPPC highlights that about half of its members are experiencing rapid load growth that could double over the next 10 years, with individual new customers now seeking up to 1 GW of capacity (“enough to power probably 600,000 homes”).
Background and specifics: LPPC president Tom Falcone identified specific reforms: support for the FEMA Act of 2025 (House proposal by Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larsen) to reduce disaster grant delays, and revisions to U.S. Treasury regulations on tax-exempt bonds related to “private use” that limit long-dated contracts with customers; LPPC notes permitting, public processes, construction, and supply-chain timelines constrain how fast utilities can build.

Oct 9, 2025

Phillips &amp; Jordan, Inc. Rebrands as Phillips Heavy, Inc.; Phillips Infrastructure Holdings Evolves into Phillips Infrastructure Corp.

Phillips Infrastructure Corp. has rebranded its heavy civil operations and reorganized its corporate structure.

Main announcement: Phillips & Jordan, Inc. has rebranded its heavy civil operations as Phillips Heavy, Inc.; its parent Phillips Infrastructure Holdings, Inc. is now Phillips Infrastructure Corp., with the company presenting four specialized operating companies (Phillips Heavy, Phillips Power, Phillips Environmental, Phillips Fleet). Internal rebrand completion: June 2025; Phillips Power, LLC will transition its power operations in 2026.
Background & details: The enterprise is a privately owned, woman-owned firm headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee with more than 1,800 employees and 750 pieces of heavy equipment; it cites 70+ years of experience and focuses on infrastructure creation & modernization, water security, energy transition, and climate resilience; media contact is Emily Torgerson (marcom@phillipsinc.com, +1 512-585-2125).

Oct 9, 2025

New Data Center Developments: October 2025

Data Center Knowledge published a monthly roundup of global data center project announcements and investments.

Main roundup highlights: The article aggregates multiple large-scale AI and data center commitments, notably Nvidia’s $100 billion strategic partnership with OpenAI to deploy 10 GW of GPU systems with “first deployments in the second half of 2026” using Nvidia’s Vera Rubin platform; CloudHQ’s $4.8 billion plan to build six data centers in Mexico City with a 900 MW private substation opening in 2027; and regional large investments including Microsoft’s $6 billion Norway deal and Nvidia/OpenAI’s $15 billion UK initiative. It also notes planned construction starts/timelines such as HydraVault beginning construction this fall for a Tier 3-compatible Chicago data center with user buildout access estimated by 2026.
Background and other concrete details: The piece lists several energy and infrastructure actions: Centersquare’s $1 billion self-funded acquisition of 10 data centers across the US and Canada; Hitachi Energy’s $1 billion grid investment to support data center growth; Ameresco partnering with the US Navy and CyrusOne to build a 100 MW AI-optimized data center at NAS Lemoore; Pelagos Data Centres’ 250 MW facility near Gibraltar to be built in five phases with the first phase by late 2027; and GreenSquareDC’s 110 MW Sydney campus securing approvals for an initial 15 MW phase expected complete by Q3 2026. For partnerships/deals: Nvidia–OpenAI will deploy GPUs via Vera Rubin and work with infrastructure firms (Nscale/CoreWeave) starting H2 2026; CloudHQ will build six Mexico City data centers and a 900 MW substation opening in 2027.

Oct 8, 2025

Why This Summer’s Heat Proved the Case for a Smarter Grid

Marcus Krembs of Enel North America argues that smarter, flexible grid resources and rapid deployment of renewables, storage, and demand response helped the U.S. grid avoid major blackouts during the extreme Summer 2025 heat, and that faster transformation is required.

Main announcement/action: The commentary states that renewables, storage, and demand response materially improved grid resilience during Summer 2025 — citing 44% renewable supply through the first seven months of 2025, 13.5 GW of new renewable generation in Texas that reduced ERCOT blackout risk from 11% to <1%, and projected demand-response dispatches (from 411 last summer to a projected 720 dispatches this year). It calls for accelerated interconnection reform, more transmission, and scaled storage to meet rising demand.
Background and details: Provides supporting facts: fossil-fuel generation reached 290 TWh (nine-year high), PJM reduced load by >4,000 MW during extreme peaks using demand response, and the Department of Energy projects data center electricity demand could reach 12% of U.S. consumption by 2028. Mentions specific partnerships/agreements: Google signed demand response agreements with Indiana Michigan Power and Tennessee Power Authority for its AI data centers.

Oct 6, 2025 · Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

Tip of the Iceberg: Understanding the Full Depth of Big Tech’s Contribution to US Innovation and Competitiveness

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) argues that U.S. “big tech” firms (Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft) provide critical R&D, infrastructure, and national-security spillovers that policymakers must account for when designing regulation or antitrust policy.

Main announcement / action: ITIF presents an analysis claiming the five largest U.S. tech firms invested $227 billion in R&D in 2024 and over $250 billion in capital expenditures in 2024, financing frontier projects (AI, quantum, semiconductors), strategic infrastructure (hyperscale data centers, subsea cables), and long-term energy deals (e.g., Alphabet–Kairos Power agreement to deliver six or seven SMRs between 2030–2035; Amazon anchored a $500 million investment round in X-energy; Amazon committed $150 billion to data center expansion over 15 years). These are presented as concrete, long-horizon commitments that create private demand signals for nuclear and other clean-energy technologies and underpin U.S. competitiveness vs. China.
Background and other details: The report documents open-research spillovers (AlphaFold, GraphCast, TensorFlow/PyTorch), startup and talent ecosystem links (acquisitions like YouTube/Android; AWS/Google/Microsoft startup programs and cloud credits), and defense ties (cloud contracts such as JWCC up to $9B to 2028, Microsoft IVAS $22B program). It cites third-party estimates and examples with timelines and dollar figures and urges regulators to include these quantified spillovers in cost-benefit analyses rather than only tallying harms.

Oct 3, 2025

Entergy Will Power $4-Billion Google Data Center in Arkansas

Google announced the first phase of a $4-billion data center campus in West Memphis, Arkansas, to be powered by Entergy using solar and existing generation.

Main announcement: Google will build a $4-billion campus sited on 1,100 acres in West Memphis; Entergy Arkansas will power the facility and the contract (described as running “for decades”) includes investment in Cypress Solar — a 600-MW solar and 350-MW battery energy storage facility near Pine Bluff (Jefferson County). Google will cover all energy costs for the project and has committed $25 million to an Energy Impact Fund for regional energy efficiency.
Background and details: Entergy Corp. executives said there would be $1.1 billion in net benefits over the life of the contract for Entergy Arkansas customers and that the agreement is “designed to put downward pressure on electricity rates.” The campus may house up to five hyperscale data centers, could be operational within the next two years, and Google applied for an air quality/emissions permit for backup generation limited to rare grid outages. Google also maintains a corporate goal to run data centers on emissions-free energy by 2030 and to have over 10 GW of nuclear power by 2035.

Sep 15, 2025 · Rest of World

Countries are struggling to meet the rising energy demands of data centers

Microsoft set up a data center in Colón, Querétaro, that has relied on gas-powered generators because it could not plug into Mexico’s transmission and distribution network; environmental filings say generators would supply 70% of the center’s energy for 12 hours/day between February and July 2025 and emit CO2 equivalent to about 54,000 average households.

Main action and specifics: Microsoft opened a data center in Colón (began operating early 2024) and received approval to use seven generators after filing that the grid would not be fully operative for Microsoft until mid-2027 due to “long construction times required in [Microsoft’s] contract with CFE.” Documents state the generators would supply 70% of the data center’s energy for 12 hours per day (Feb–Jul 2025) and produce annual CO2 emissions comparable to ~54,000 households.
Background and additional details: Mexico hosts ~150 data centers with Big Tech investing over $7 billion since 2020; the Mexican Association of Data Centers estimates 70 additional centers (over $18 billion in investment) over five years and national data centers will require 1.5 GW by 2030. The federal utility CFE has a monopoly on transmission/distribution, the government announced >$8 billion for transmission infrastructure to be completed by 2030 (focused on households), and investment in transmission/distribution fell by 17% and 37% respectively between 2018 and late 2024.

Sep 10, 2025

Climate Change Solutions - September 9, 2025

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) published a newsletter highlighting recent climate solutions, Congressional activity, briefings, and an upcoming AI-and-energy event.

Main announcement: EESI summarizes new content and events including articles on passive and sustainable cooling, grid resilience to heat waves, and a new Nature4Communities tool from U.S. Nature4Climate; it also hosted a briefing with the Ohio River Basin Alliance as part of its Resilient and Healthy Rivers series. Key figures and policy items cited include $57.3 billion in FY2026 discretionary funding in H.R.4553 (Energy and Water appropriations), a noted reduction of $766.4 million from 2025 levels, an authorizing proposal of $10 million to DOE under H.R.4490 (Wildfire Grid Resiliency Act), and $30 million annually directed to local officials under H.R.5154 (REACT Act).
Background and upcoming actions: The newsletter catalogs Congressional bills and hearings, media coverage, and events; it also announces an EESI briefing on AI and energy.
- Event: “Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Energy and the Environment”
  - Date: Thursday, September 25
  - Time: 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  - Location: Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room (Room 2168) and online (livecast/RSVP link provided)
- Other details: Highlight notes available for the 28th Annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy Forum and EXPO; a cited statistic: every $1 invested in transit generates $5 in economic returns.

Sep 10, 2025

ORNL wins 20 R&D 100 Awards

Oak Ridge National Laboratory announced it set a new lab record by winning 20 R&D 100 Awards in the current global competition (ORNL led 17 winners and co-developed three more, with 29 ORNL finalist technologies).

Main announcement & highlights: ORNL reports 20 R&D 100 Awards (17 led, 3 co-developed) across energy, materials, manufacturing, computing and emerging technologies; notable technology metrics include rotary transformer motor tested on a 200-kW BorgWarner motor (92–95% efficiency, up to 15% efficiency improvement, up to 25% higher power density, validated over 53,000 cycles ≈ 10 years), LMHE engine with 15% weight reduction and >10% fuel-efficiency improvement, heat pump water heater with 30% improvement in first-hour hot water delivery, and BIPHASICS CO2 capture claiming up to 46% less solvent regeneration energy and 30% lower CO2 capture cost vs MEA.
Background, partners and technical details: The announcement lists commercial and research partners and commercialization steps (e.g., The Sexton Corporation commercializing the underwater X-ray system; collaboration with BorgWarner, GM, Cummins, Soteria Battery Innovation Group, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and academic partners). It documents technology specifics such as HyPoCap (surface area >4,000 m2/g; 610 F/g capacitance), E-GRIMS operating at ~800°C with >90% energy savings and completing graphitization in ~2 hours, Next-Gen Polyiso R-value 8.3 per inch (30% better), Future Foundries reducing production cycles by up to 68%, and simulation tools (DR-Weld, ExaDigiT, PRESTO, Simurgh) with stated performance claims and deployment partners. Funding sources and managing organization (UT-Battelle for DOE Office of Science) are also listed.

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