Utah Data Center Intel

Recent Utah data center news

• Sep 8, 2026

  Behind Google's Contract for Geothermal Instead of Solar Is the Premium Available For Firm Power

  Google has announced a 396 MW geothermal power deal with Fervo Energy, with an option to expand to nearly 1 GW by June 2030.

  • The deal was signed on August 26 and sources enhanced geothermal power from Cape Station, Utah, United States; delivery is planned in four tranches of 99 MW starting in Q3 2028 under a 15-year term with parent guarantees from Fervo and Alphabet.
  • The article is an analysis/commentary on why hyperscalers are paying for firm, 24/7 power; it references Google’s broader contracted portfolio, India’s data-centre power demand estimates, and the potential role of solar + BESS, hybrid wind-solar-storage, and RTC tenders.
  • It does not present a new India-specific project announcement; instead, it argues that data-centre buyers may favor round-the-clock clean power over the cheapest intermittent renewable supply.
• Sep 3, 2026

  Google partners with MN8 Energy and Eos on West Virginia solar-plus-LDES project

  Google, MN8 Energy, and Eos Energy Enterprises have announced the Mammoth Solar project in Kanawha County, West Virginia, combining solar, long-duration energy storage, and lithium-ion storage. The announcement also includes a separate Google PPA with Fervo Energy in Utah.

  • Mammoth Solar will combine 86MW solar, 10MW/100MWh Eos Z3 LDES, and 70MW/280MWh Li-ion BESS on the PJM grid; commercial operation is expected in 2028, with storage follow-on in 2029 and 2030.
  • MN8 says the project could involve up to US$350 million of capital investment and about US$4 million in property tax revenue over the first 20 years; construction is projected to create roughly 200 jobs.
  • Google will buy the project’s energy, capacity, and clean energy attributes; MN8 says it is the first commercial-scale LDES deployment in West Virginia and the first project under the previously announced 750MWh MN8-Eos master supply agreement from October 2025.
  • Separately, Google announced a 396MW PPA with Fervo Energy for the Cape Station enhanced geothermal project in Utah, with an option to expand by about 600MW by June 2030.
• Sep 1, 2026

  US utility-scale battery energy storage capacity almost doubled during first 18 months of Trump’s second term

  The Solar Energy Industries Association and Benchmark Mineral Intelligence have published the Q3 2026 US Energy Storage Market Outlook, reporting record US battery storage deployments in Q2 2026.

  • The report says 6.7GW/20.2GWh of new battery energy storage systems came online between March and end-June 2026, with 17.9GWh in utility-scale projects and 56% of utility-scale capacity standalone.
  • It also says Arizona, Texas and Utah accounted for much of the quarter’s growth, while the C&I segment benefited from the expansion of data centres and onsite power needs; SEIA and Benchmark also raised their 2030 forecast to 683GWh.
  • The article references earlier announcements and policy developments, including Illinois’ 3GW by 2030 target, Virginia’s expanded 20GW-plus target, Nebraska’s framework for first BESS developments, and FERC show cause orders on large-load grid connections.
• Aug 27, 2026

  Data Center Backlash Reaches the Ballot Box

  Data Center Knowledge reports that at least 18 incumbent officeholders lost elections between August 2025 and August 2026 after actions tied to data center projects or controversies.

  • Utah saw the clearest cases: J. Stuart Adams, Lee Perry, and Boyd Bingham all lost GOP primaries after involvement with the proposed Stratos project in Box Elder County.
  • In Missouri, four incumbent Festus city council members lost after a fight over a proposed $6 billion data center project; other losses and campaign attacks appeared in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Oregon, and Georgia.
  • The article is a news analysis/review, not a primary announcement; it aggregates election results, government records, campaign materials, and local reporting, and includes industry and policy responses from Tigercomm, Data Center Coalition, and state leaders.
• Aug 26, 2026

  Wavelength Services for AI Data Centers: A Buyer’s Guide

  Aureon is highlighting its long-haul transport route and positioning wavelength services as the preferred connectivity option for AI data centers.

  • Aureon says its Iowa Falls to Chicago route already provides 100Tb of live capacity, with a 400Tb scalable ceiling and an explored path toward 800Tb using its Infinite Capacity Engine technology.
  • The article also cites industry context: long-haul dark fiber demand doubled between 2024 and 2025, and Aureon says its route supports wavelength channels up to 800G, which is still described as new territory for the industry.
  • A quoted statement from George O’Neal, President and CEO of Aureon, says: “This deployment required a high level of coordination across networks, vendors, and timelines.”
• Aug 25, 2026

  Data center expansion faces growing pushback as EPA seeks faster permitting

  The Trump administration is proposing changes to EPA permitting rules that could reduce public comment opportunities for data centers and the power plants that support them.

  • The Environmental Protection Agency plans to eliminate a federal requirement that states publicize certain air pollution permit applications and solicit public comments before approval for facilities classified as “minor sources”.
  • The proposal would cover data centers, landfills, laundromats, steel mills and other industrial facilities; opponents say it could make it harder for residents to learn about or raise concerns before construction begins.

  This is a reported proposal and not a first-party announcement from the EPA in the article.

  • The EPA says the change would speed up permitting and support economic development without weakening emission standards or environmental protections.
  • The story says opposition has come from nearly 200 advocacy groups and more than a dozen states; governors in Utah, Texas, and Pennsylvania have called for greater transparency and community involvement.
• Aug 18, 2026

  Datum Deploys Its Open Network Cloud at DataBank to Connect Distributed AI Infrastructure

  DataBank has announced that Datum has added network points of presence inside three DataBank facilities in Ashburn, Dallas, and Salt Lake City.

  • The deployment places Datum’s open network cloud in interconnection-dense markets serving AI companies, hyperscalers, and enterprises.
  • DataBank said the three markets were chosen because Ashburn is the largest interconnection hub in North America, Dallas is a growing central-U.S. exchange point, and Salt Lake City is close to US-West neocloud and public cloud regions.
  • The announcement says the companies’ leadership relationship spans nearly 20 years; it also identifies Kevin Ooley as DataBank President and CFO and incoming CEO effective January 1, 2027.
  • Datum says its infrastructure is accelerated by NVIDIA BlueField DPUs and is available in public cloud, dedicated cloud, BYOC, or open-source AGPLv3 models.
• Aug 13, 2026

  One Team, Two Rounds of Giving: Backpacks for Local Students

  DataBank has announced that its employees, vendors, and customers completed a backpack drive for Bluffdale Elementary students and teachers, delivering 60 backpacks stocked with school supplies. - Over $1,250 was donated to purchase backpacks and supplies, and 27 employees helped pack them at the Salt Lake City data center.

  • The backpacks included items such as a water bottle, notebook, ruler, crayons, pencil pouch, pencils, eraser, pencil sharpener, glue stick, and kid scissors; extra school supplies were also set aside for teachers.
  • The article is a community relations / CSR recap, not a first-time product or infrastructure announcement, and it also references several past DataBank community activities at other data centers.
• Aug 11, 2026

  The Next Data Center Constraint: Trust

  The Data Center Frontier Show released a podcast episode on community trust as a rising constraint on data center growth, featuring Buddy Rizer and Adam Waitkunas discussing opposition, community engagement, and political durability. - The episode aired on August 11, 2026 and focuses on how community acceptance may now constrain development more than power, land, or water.

  • Rizer said Loudoun County has more than 250 data centers, uses less than 10% of its water system, and has generated about $1.2 billion in tax revenue, yet distrust still dominates public debate.
  • Waitkunas argued for earlier engagement and stronger Community Benefit Agreements, including operational commitments on noise and traffic; both guests warned that moratoriums and local political backlash may increase.
• Aug 6, 2026

  Do We Really Need Mega Next-Gen Data Center Campuses?

  The article explains why hyperscale data center campuses are becoming larger and more complex, offering analysis rather than announcing a new project.

  • It cites Meta’s 3,650-acre Hyperion campus in Richland Parish, Louisiana and mentions a floated 40,000-acre Utah site for Kevin O’Leary’s Stratos concept, later reduced to 20,000 acres.
  • Industry experts from JLL, Omdia, and Dell’Oro Group discuss multi-building campuses, 10-50 MW AI clusters, power and water planning, and the use of on-site generation, dedicated substations, and air-cooled chillers in cooler climates.