Utah Data Center News

Jun 16, 2026

Climate Change Solutions - June 16, 2026

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) released new fact sheets on lithium and cobalt and announced its 29th annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO (EXPO 2026).

New EESI publications: EESI published fact sheets on Lithium and Cobalt, noting the U.S. relies on imports for >50% of lithium consumed and 76% of cobalt consumed; the newsletter links to a 2025 Critical Minerals Issue Brief for deeper analysis.
Event and policy updates: EXPO 2026 is scheduled for Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (reception 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.) at the Rayburn House Office Building Gold Room (Room 2168) and online; the newsletter also reports House action on the Agriculture Appropriations Act (H.R.8646) providing $22.5 billion to USDA through September 2027, and updates on geothermal permitting bills and the DOMINANCE Act to secure critical mineral supply chains.

Jun 15, 2026

Data Centers’ Next Hurdle: Winning Public Trust and Social License

The article reports that community opposition is emerging as a decisive constraint on U.S. data center development.

Main action: Local communities and voters have begun to block or reshape large data center projects: Monterey Park approved a citywide ban on new data centers; opposition in Festus, Missouri helped thwart a proposed $6 billion campus and unseat incumbent council members; the proposed Stratos project in Utah was reduced from 40,000 acres to about 20,000 acres. The piece also cites a seasonally adjusted annual construction rate of $50.7 billion (April 2026, US Census Bureau) as context for the scale of recent growth.
Background & policy details: State-level responses include North Carolina lawmakers considering utility cost-recovery changes for major customers and New York’s proposed Responsible Data Center Development Act, which would pause new large data center permits for one year and require public hearings, host-community benefit programs, and separate utility rate classifications. The article is an analytical report summarizing local disputes, polling (Pew, Gallup), expert comments, and cited regulatory proposals.

Jun 9, 2026

Hydrogen’s Hurdles, Fuel Cells’ Rise in Data Center Power

DataCenterKnowledge publishes a final installment reviewing less-mature or emerging alternatives to diesel generators for data center backup power, focusing on hydrogen backup, fuel cells, and renewable fuels.

Main coverage: The article assesses hydrogen engines and fuel cells and renewable diesel as diesel alternatives, noting concrete deployments and pilots: NorthC Datacenters ordered six Jenbacher hydrogen engines in the Netherlands (dual-gas for short hydrogen outages), Microsoft piloted a 3 MW hydrogen fuel cell in Latham, NY, and Bloom Energy signed a $5 billion strategic partnership with Brookfield to accelerate fuel cell capacity. It highlights the Dutch ~300 km national hydrogen network repurposed from natural gas pipelines and Microsoft’s prior 2030 diesel elimination pledge as context.
Background & policy details: The piece notes regulatory movement with the US EPA removing proposed hydrogen co-firing mandates from its NSPS (earlier draft had ramped to 96% by 2038), cites cost and infrastructure constraints for hydrogen (production, transport, storage, permitting), and points out that fuel cells running on natural gas/biogas are identified as the most likely near-term scalable solution for behind-the-meter AI power needs.

Jun 4, 2026

Data center developers ousted from Monterey Park as voters approve permanent ban

Monterey Park has permanently banned data centers via Measure NDC.

Measure NDC approved: More than 86% of voters approved a permanent ban on data centers in Monterey Park, codifying a moratorium in effect since late January; the ban bars any new computing facilities inside city limits and can only be overturned by another citywide vote. Key local facts: city population ~62,000, a proposed 250,000-square-foot data center by HMC Capital had its application withdrawn in April.
Context and background: The article documents broader regional and state-level resistance — mentions a massive Box Elder County project backed by investor Kevin O’Leary, states that have introduced moratoriums or bans (Georgia, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont), and notes Maine’s legislature passed a statewide moratorium bill that was vetoed by Gov. Janet Mills.

Jun 3, 2026

Data Center Jobs: Engineering, Construction, Commissioning, Sales, Field Service and Facility Tech Jobs Available in Major Data Center Hotspots

Data Center Frontier, in partnership with Pkaza, posts the latest data center career opportunities on its jobs board.

Main announcement: Data Center Frontier and Pkaza have published a roundup of active data center job openings covering roles such as Mechanical Applications Engineer, Electrical Commissioning Engineer, Project Coordinator, Architect Design Manager, Electrical Project Manager, Commissioning Project Manager, Controls PM, Facility Operations Director, Project Executive (Owner’s Rep), and other critical-facilities positions across multiple U.S. locations (examples include Pittsburgh, PA; New Albany, OH; Ashburn, VA; Charlotte, NC; Denver, CO; Naperville, IL). Many roles note remote, traveling, or multiple-city availability and relocation options where specified.
Background / details: This is a recurring/monthly jobs-posting series powered by Pkaza Critical Facilities Recruiting and the Data Center Frontier jobs board; listings emphasise employer needs for MEP/critical facilities design, commissioning, mission-critical power and cooling expertise, energy efficiency and LEED experience, and include travel/remote work options and multiple-site listings for several roles. No monetary values, contract amounts, or deal announcements are included.

Jun 3, 2026

New Data Center Developments: June 2026

Data Center Knowledge has published a monthly roundup of global data center developments.

Highlights include: CloudBurst breaking ground on a 1.2 GW flagship campus in Central Texas; Nvidia partnering with IREN to deploy up to 5 GW of global AI infrastructure with Texas’ Sweetwater as a flagship site; Prime Data Centers breaking ground on SMF02 (150,000 sq.ft, 18 MW IT load) in Sacramento; Applied Digital planning Delta Forge 1 — $3.6 billion, 300-acre AI campus in Boyce, Louisiana; Hive Digital/Buzz HPC planning an ~320 MW AI facility in the Greater Toronto Area.
Additional concrete items and timelines: SoftBank plans up to €75 billion to develop 5 GW in France (targeting 3.1 GW by 2031); Ardian & Verne’s €5 billion digital campus (500 MW, with 200+ MW by 2030); TotalEnergies’ €100 million Pangea 5 supercomputer investment; Arcem’s Joroinen site delivering 60 MW by 2027 and 100 MW by 2029; CDC Data Centres’ 555 MW contract to be delivered with operations commencing in FY28 and FY29. All items are factual summaries from the article.

Jun 1, 2026 · Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

Targeted Pressure: How Chinese Manufacturing Competition Impacts US States

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) has published a report finding Chinese industrial policy is reshaping global manufacturing and harming industries across every U.S. state.

Main finding & method: The ITIF report (June 1, 2026) analyzes one “national power industry” per state using County Business Patterns employment data, HS/SITC export proxies, and global market-share series to conclude that state-backed Chinese subsidies, export pushes, and overcapacity are driving down prices and pressuring U.S. producers in sectors such as semiconductors, batteries, aircraft, and fabricated metals.
Key facts, numbers, and timelines:China plans ~$150 billion in semiconductor investment through 2030 vs. $52 billion under the U.S. CHIPS funding; the report cites $63.3 billion Chinese semiconductor spending in H1 2025, TSMC’s $165 billion U.S. investment announcement, GE Appliances’ $490 million Appliance Park investment (2025), and state/national export shares and HS-code trade series used throughout the analyses.

May 28, 2026

Shapiro pitches sustainability, transparency requirements for data center developers

Governor Josh Shapiro delivered detailed GRID (Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development) Standards that developers must satisfy to qualify for state tax benefits, representing a first public specification of requirements tied to certification and tax incentives.

Main announcement: The Shapiro administration proposes a certification requirement for data center developers to claim state tax benefits (including the Computer Data Center Equipment sales tax exemption) administered by the Office of Transformation and Opportunity and Department of Revenue; certified projects would be eligible for the PA Permit Fast Track Program. The proposal is presented as a new, detailed policy (first-time release of GRID standards) and would require applicants to commit tax savings to public priorities and maintain certification with audited compliance documentation. Key numeric requirements include the current sales tax exemption costing $517 million annually by 2030, a $250 million new investment commitment from applicants, at least 200 construction jobs, at least 50 permanent jobs paying at least 125% of the statewide average wage, and a payroll floor of $1.5 million annually by year four.
Background and implementation details: GRID applications must demonstrate plans for energy supply (build/bring/buy capacity without affecting other customers), rooftop solar provisions for projects >100,000 sq ft, progressive clean energy percentages (10% in 2027, 14.5% in 2030, 32% in 2035), community engagement (public meetings, disclosure of major tenant/operator), community benefits agreements, noise/traffic/air quality studies, and sustainability certifications (e.g., LEED or ENERGY STAR). The administration calls on the legislature to amend the Computer Data Center Equipment Exemption Program to make it part of GRID; the proposal is subject to further legislative deliberation.

May 27, 2026

Place-based pathways to a viable future

MIT’s Living Climate Futures (LCF) showcased collaborations at its second Living Climate Futures Symposium held April 23–25 at MIT.

Main announcement: LCF convened its second Living Climate Futures Symposium (April 23–25) at MIT to showcase place-based research collaborations between 20 MIT faculty and affiliates and frontline community organizations, focusing on community-based responses to climate impacts (sessions included data centers and community health, global climate reparations, urban agriculture, rural adaptation, and training for community-oriented research).
Background and details: The initiative is funded by the MIT Human Insight Collaborative (MITHIC) and based in MIT SHASS; the symposium highlighted concrete tools and outputs such as a data-center emissions and exposure modelling tool (Michael Cork), the Global Climate Reparations Working Statement (resulting from the 2024 Nairobi Governance Assembly), community CBAs (community benefit agreements) as negotiation tools, and field activities including a visit to The Food Project and a Stone Living Lab tour of nature-based flood protection; no monetary deal values or contract prices were announced.

May 27, 2026

Stratos and the New AI Campus Math: Building Around the Grid

Stratos, a proposed 9 GW AI and data center campus in Utah developed under Utah’s Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA) and backed by investors including Kevin O’Leary, has been filed as a MIDA project area.

Main announcement / action: The filing proposes a 9 GW integrated campus organized through MIDA, emphasizing integrated generation, hyperscale data center(s), and advanced manufacturing, and framing the site around energy resilience and “secure, domestically controlled power and data capacity” (project filing). The project is explicitly structured to combine large-scale compute with long-term power control rather than relying solely on conventional utility expansion; investor interest includes Kevin O’Leary.
Background and other details: The article situates Stratos amid grid and market pressures: ERCOT reported roughly 410 GW of large-load interconnection requests with approximately 87% tied to data centers (April update), and operators warn of repeated “restudy loops” delaying interconnections. Industry voices (Jigar Shah, Trey Travis, Steven Dickens) characterize the shift as industrial energy economics, need for long-term offtake commitments, heavy industrial mechanical and supply-chain challenges, and a broader debate between centralized multi-gigawatt campuses and distributed smaller facilities.

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