Texas Data Center Intel

Recent Texas data center news

• Mar 2, 2026

  How America’s Power Regions Chose Their Futures and How That Has Played Out

  Aaron Larson assesses nearly 30 years of U.S. electricity market choices and evaluates organized RTO/ISO markets versus bilateral, vertically integrated regions.

  • Main assessment: The article reviews the historical arc from FERC Order 888 (April 24, 1996) and Order 2000 (~1999) through the formation and evolution of major operators (PJM, CAISO, ISO‑NE, NYISO, MISO, SPP, ERCOT). Key facts include PJM’s estimate of $2.8–$3.1 billion/year in customer benefits, a 2023 Brattle Group study estimating $362 million/year savings for South Carolina by joining PJM (or $187 million/year for a Southeast RTO), and the launch dates/timelines: CAISO (1998 under Assembly Bill 1890), PJM ISO (1997) and RTO (2001), MISO formation (2001) and energy market start (2005), Entergy integration (2013), SPP Integrated Marketplace (2014), ERCOT restructuring (1999), SEEM launch (November 2022), and Winter Storm Uri (February 2021).
  • Background and additional details: The article documents regional design differences (PJM evolutionary expansion; CAISO’s 2000–2001 crisis; ERCOT’s energy‑only market), highlights renewables integration and data center demand as drivers toward organized markets, and notes SEEM cleared 0.1% of regional annual demand in its first full year. The piece is an analytical assessment rather than a new policy announcement.
• Mar 2, 2026

  POWER DIGEST [March 2026]

  Energea announced the acquisition of the YO Residence Solar Project in Sandton, South Africa.

  • Acquisition details: Energea acquired the fully operational 281.82-kW DC rooftop solar system with 700-kWh battery storage (YO Residence Solar Project) for $462,000, connected to City Power of Johannesburg, with operations to be managed via Hooray Power and using locally manufactured Freedom Won batteries with transferable equipment warranties.
  • Additional digest highlights:Juniper Green Energy (via Juniper Green Cosmic) declared its 100-MWh BESS in Bikaner, Rajasthan now in commercial operation (Envision supplied the technology) and has 400 MWh nearing completion in Fatehgarh by summer; Prime Data Centers plans a ~$2 billion data center in Järvenpää, Finland with construction expected in 2027 pending EIA and permits; GREW Solar won a 1,464.5 MW module supply contract from NTPC REL worth ~$223 million; ContourGlobal awarded ~80 MW across Sicily and Italy under FerX/NZIA tenders; ENGIE completed full acquisition of a 150-MW BESS at Hazelwood (Australia).
• Mar 2, 2026

  Striking a Balance When It Comes to Power

  POWER reports that commercial and industrial (C&I) businesses are increasingly adopting hybrid, decentralized power systems to secure reliable, resilient electricity.

  • Main announcement/action: Businesses and C&I operators are moving toward hybrid, decentralized power strategies—combining grid connection with on-site generation, energy storage, microgrids, and cogeneration—to improve reliability, resiliency, and cost efficiency. Example project details: Catholic Charities installed 17 solar projects totaling 1.3 MW (designed to generate 1.5 GWh annually and offset ~45% of on-site load), and Fluence installed a 2.75-MW battery energy storage system at Google’s St. Ghislain data center in 2022.
  • Background and other details: Industry experts (XL Batteries, Jacobs, Hitachi Energy, Budderfly, Alsym) emphasize supply-chain constraints (long transformer/switchgear lead times), the need for five-year planning and supplier coordination, interest in non-lithium/long-duration storage and 800‑V DC architectures (NVIDIA support by Hitachi Energy), and that thermal generation remains a near-term stabilizer while renewables and storage scale. Implementation notes: some projects are behind-the-meter to capture federal tax incentives; Fluence’s installation served as a proof-of-concept for wider use and was connected to the Belgian grid by Centrica Business Solutions.
• Mar 2, 2026

  The Real Barriers to Power Sector Carbon Capture

  POWER (Sonal Patel) reports that despite technical maturity, post-combustion carbon capture and storage (CCS) for power generation continues to face decisive hurdles that are determining which projects reach final investment decision (FID).

  • Main finding: The article summarizes that while capture technology is approaching technical readiness, integration complexity, financing structures, and community acceptance are the decisive barriers to FID; the piece cites the Global CCS Institute (October 2025) data showing 77 commercial CCS facilities in operation, 734 projects in development, and projected global capacity growth from 64 Mtpa today to ~337 Mtpa by 2030. It also highlights specific operational projects including China Huaneng Longdong (1.5 Mtpa, commissioned 2025) and Petra Nova (1.4 Mtpa), and notes ~11 announced natural gas plants linked to data centers in the U.S. and Canada (including planned generation for Meta’s Hyperion AI campus and a JV by Chevron/GE Vernova/Engine No. 1).

  • Details and context: The article is reporting and analysis (not a new single-company announcement); it documents concrete project and market facts: design capture rates (95%) and proven test capture >99.9%, Ares Management’s $600 billion AUM cited, reported developer price expectations shifting from $100/MWh to about $150/MWh, mention of generic offsets at $20/tonne versus potential carbon removal prices of hundreds of dollars per tonne, and practical financing requirements such as Class VI injection approvals, bulletproof off-take agreements, and lump-sum turnkey EPCs. Permitting, supply-chain lead times, and EPC risk allocation are flagged as decisive pre-FID needs.

• Feb 27, 2026 · RMI

  Why Communities Can and Must Consider Electricity Affordability and Risk Together

  Stephen Abbott of RMI argues that communities should consider electricity affordability and risk together and pursue diverse, distributed energy portfolios rather than relying solely on large centralized fossil-fuel generation.

  • Main announcement/action: Communities and local governments should adopt portfolio-based energy strategies (energy efficiency, batteries, renewables, virtual power plants, and other flexible resources) to reduce price volatility and operational risk; RMI highlights concrete examples including data center-driven load growth of 32% by 2030, and Burlington’s 59,204 MWh annual reduction from its energy efficiency program.
  • Background and details: The piece cites recent cost and risk evidence: ComEd provided $277 million (2024) for efficiency programs yielding an estimated $3.2 billion in customer savings; reliance on fossil fuels produced at least $390 million in excess costs for communities around the Prairie State Energy Campus over four years; typical monthly fuel charges in Florida doubled from ~$20 to ~$40 (2020–2023); utilities such as TVA are proposing large new gas facilities as a conventional response.
• Feb 27, 2026

  FiberLight Invests $500M in West Texas AI, Data Center Infrastructure

  FiberLight LLC announced a $350 million capital investment in high-capacity network and AI infrastructure for West Texas, expanding an earlier $150 million commitment to bring total regional investment to $500 million.

  • Main announcement:FiberLight LLC announced a $350 million new capital investment in West Texas to expand high-capacity network and AI infrastructure, bringing the total investment to $500 million when combined with the $150 million commitment announced Oct. 28, 2025; the initiative will install ~1,400 route miles and 1.2 million new fiber miles and add a third route into Abilene to support AI and data center growth.
  • Background and details: The company said the investment aims to provide fiber diversity, high fiber counts, and scalable capacity to accelerate data center deployment and support rural connectivity; the announcement references a November 2025 study identifying Texas as the leading AI cluster and cites commentary from Texas Royalty Brokers on the region’s computing facility buildout.
• Feb 27, 2026

  Google and Xcel Energy to Deploy 300MW / 30GWh Form Iron-Air Battery in Minnesota

  Google and Xcel Energy have announced a definitive agreement to deploy a 300MW / 30GWh Form Energy iron-air battery system in Pine Island, Minnesota.

  • Main announcement: Google and Xcel Energy will deploy a 300MW / 30GWh iron-air battery (Form Energy technology) to support a new Google data centre in Pine Island, Minnesota; the package also includes 1,400 MW of new wind, 200 MW of new solar, and Google will make a USD 50 million investment into Xcel’s Capacity*Connect programme. The Electric Service Agreement will be submitted to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission for approval in the coming weeks.
  • Background and project details: Industry sources describe the deal as a USD 1 billion commitment by Google to Form Energy; batteries will be manufactured at Form Factory 1 in Weirton, West Virginia (scaling toward 500MW annual production capacity by 2028) and the facility is eligible for up to USD 150 million in federal support; Form Energy previously raised USD 405 million in Series F (2024).
• Feb 26, 2026

  $12B Amazon data center build will rely on surplus water

  Amazon has announced a $12 billion multi-site data center campus across Caddo and Bossier Parishes in Louisiana.

  • Project scope & funding: Amazon will invest $12 billion to develop interconnected campuses in Caddo and Bossier Parishes, including $400 million allocated for local water infrastructure (using only verified surplus water) and a $250,000 community fund for STEM and local projects. Construction is expected to start in the coming weeks; STACK Infrastructure will lead development and Southwestern Electric Power Company will be the local utility partner with Amazon paying 100% of new energy infrastructure expenses.
  • Context & related projects: The announcement follows other multibillion-dollar data center projects in Louisiana, including Jacobs starting phase one of a $10 billion Hut 8 project (Hut 8 expects operations to begin Q2 2027) and a $10 billion Meta data center near Monroe being built by Turner, DPR and Mortenson. The article is an announcement summarizing Amazon’s commitment and situating it within recent regional data center investments.
• Feb 26, 2026

  DataBank Adds Two New Board Directors with Deep Expertise in Data Center Infrastructure and Technology

  DataBank announced the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors: Rob Johnson (former Vertiv CEO) and Daniel Sturman (former Roblox CTO).

  • Main announcement: DataBank appointed Rob Johnson and Daniel Sturman to its Board to support expansion of its high-density data centers and low-latency interconnection hubs; the company serves 2,500+ enterprise, hyperscale cloud, and AI customers, operates 65+ data centers in 25+ markets and 20 interconnection hubs, and guarantees 100% uptime.
  • Background and details: Johnson served as Vertiv CEO (2016–2022) and holds roles at G2 Ventures, Neos Partners, and Rehlko; Sturman served as Roblox CTO (2020–2024) and oversaw growth from ~100M to nearly 400M monthly users. Tom Yanagi of DigitalBridge commented on his 10-year support of DataBank’s strategy. Press assets and contact links (LinkedIn, YouTube, corporate site, phone 1(800) 840-7533) are provided in the release.
• Feb 26, 2026

  Google: Minnesota data centre energy deal includes 30GWh ‘multi-day’ iron-air batteries from Form Energy

  Xcel Energy and Google have announced an agreement to deploy Form Energy iron-air batteries to power a new Google data centre in Pine Island, Minnesota.

  • Main announcement: Xcel Energy will install a 300 MW / 30 GWh Form Energy iron‑air battery system at Google’s Pine Island, Minnesota data centre; the parties say Google will cover all new infrastructure costs and the Electric Service Agreement (ESA) will be submitted to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) for review in the next few weeks. The deal also includes adding 1,900 MW of renewables to the grid (CEAC supporting 1,400 MW wind + 200 MW solar) and a US$50 million investment in Xcel’s Capacity*Connect Programme.

  • Background and implementation details: Form Energy says batteries will be manufactured at Form Factory 1 (Weirton, West Virginia), with FF1 on track to reach 500 MW/year by 2028; Form previously raised US$405 million (Series F) in 2024 and FF1 received up to US$150 million from DOE programmes announced in September 2024. Xcel notes a prior 1 GWh Form Energy project was approved by Minnesota regulators in 2023; the new 30 GWh system is described as the largest battery by energy capacity announced to date.