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Utah Data Center Intel
Latest data center news, projects, power and policy across Utah — updated daily.
Recent Utah data center news
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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Key local facts: city population ~62,000, a proposed 250,000-square-foot data center by HMC Capital had its application withdrawn in April.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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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Advanced Geothermal Energy Is Widely Available, Clean, and Maybe Cheap Enough to Make a Big Impact
ITIF (Robin Gaster) reports that advanced geothermal technologies (EGS, AGS, SHR) are transitioning from R&D to commercial deployment, led by Fervo Energy’s commercial-scale EGS rollout and multiple signed offtake agreements.
- Main announcement: ITIF documents that EGS, AGS, and SHR are moving toward commercial scale, with Fervo Energy expanding Cape Station from 400 MW to 500 MW, Phase I delivering 100 MW in 2026 and full 500 MW operational by 2028, and with multiple PPAs (including Southern California Edison: 320 MW, 15-year contracts) already executed; DOE’s FORGE has received $298 million (total committed) with an $80 million extension through 2028 supporting field validation.
- Background and details: The report catalogs federal and private financing and policy actions: Fervo’s $244 million Series D (Devon Energy lead), a Vallourec supply deal worth up to $800 million over 5 years, DOE/ARPA-E programs (SUPERHOT, OG/GTO funding), specific cost metrics (drilling costs per well fell from $9.4M to $4.8M; target <$3M), and pending legislation (e.g., GEO Act, STEAM Act) to streamline permitting and federal land access.
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Swedish Software Firm and AT&T Lead Open Access Standards Push in U.S.
The Open Access Network Forum (OANF) launched Feb. 5, 2026 within ATIS, co-led by AT&T and COS Systems, to develop a unified specification for business, operational, and technical integration of open access fiber networks across North America.
- Launch details: OANF launched Feb. 5, 2026 and is housed in ATIS (a standards organization with 165 member companies); co-leads are AT&T and COS Systems and the forum will develop a unified specification covering business, operational, and technical requirements for ISPs connecting to open access networks across North America.
- Context and background: The announcement was presented at Open Access Day 2026 (pre-conference to Fiber Connect) as the industry faces integration cost barriers highlighted by AT&T’s Gigapower joint venture (launched with BlackRock in 2022); the U.S. fiber buildout is also proceeding alongside the $42.5 billion BEAD federal grant program, which the panel warned could prioritize miles deployed over customers connected.
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AI Data Centers Are Driving Nuclear's Next Commercial Test
NANO Nuclear signed a non-binding MOU with Supermicro on May 6 to explore integrating microreactors with Supermicro’s AI servers and data center platforms.
- Main announcement: The May 6 non-binding MOU between NANO Nuclear and Supermicro will explore dedicated on-site nuclear power for data centers, including integration of Supermicro AI racks and cooling with NANO’s KRONOS MMR, joint go-to-market strategies for hyperscale and enterprise customers, and a self-powered, grid-independent AI infrastructure model. The agreement is explicitly exploratory and is not a PPA, financing, construction start, or NRC license.
- Related developments & context: Multiple parallel actions include Terrestrial Energy–Riot Platforms MOU to evaluate deployments of IMSR units (possible multiple 390 MW units and up to 4 GW across candidate sites in Texas and Kentucky), X-energy’s IPO (~$1 billion raised via 44.3M shares at $23 each), and Blue Energy–GE Vernova’s 2.5 GW gas-plus-nuclear strategy (FID target 2027, gas turbines targeted for 2029 delivery). Constellation’s Crane restart is backed by a 20‑year Microsoft agreement and is contingent on regulatory/interconnection decisions potentially decided in June or July.
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Geothermal Developer Fervo Energy Raises $1.9 Billion in Upsized IPO
Fervo Energy announced the finalized pricing of its initial public offering, selling shares and setting an approximate company valuation.
- Fervo Energy finalized IPO pricing, sold 70 million shares at $27 per share (IPO was upsized from an initial plan of 55.6 million shares at an expected $21–$24), valuing the company at approximately $7.7 billion.
- Background & project details: Founded in 2017, Fervo develops enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) using oil-and-gas techniques; it has over 658 MW in contracted offtake with hyperscalers and utilities (including Google, Southern California Edison, NV Energy, Shell). Its first greenfield project, Cape Station (Beaver County, Utah), is expected to deliver first power in 2026, reach ~100 MW by early 2027, and has plans to scale to 500 MW.