Utah Data Center Intel

Recent Utah data center news

• Mar 4, 2026

  Tribes and environmentalists raise alarm over $2 billion Columbia River power line

  PowerBridge has proposed burying an 80-mile, high-voltage transmission cable under the Columbia River as the nearly $2 billion Cascade Renewable Transmission System.

  • Project details: PowerBridge proposes the Cascade Renewable Transmission System to bury a roughly 12-inch cable bundle for 80 miles along the Columbia River, buried 10 to 15 feet beneath the riverbed, to transmit 1,100 megawatts from The Dalles to a substation in Northwest Portland; the company says the method has been used near New York and New Jersey for nearly two decades.
  • Approvals and timeline: PowerBridge filed permit applications with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state agencies in Oregon and Washington; the article states construction is not expected to start until at least 2028 if reviews pass and funding is secured.
• Feb 25, 2026 · InfoWest

  Firelight SunRiver Gets InfoWest Fiber

  InfoWest has announced that Firelight SunRiver homes in Toquerville, Utah now come pre-installed with InfoWest fiber, available for immediate activation.

  • Main announcement: InfoWest has pre-installed fiber-optic infrastructure in every new home at Firelight SunRiver (Toquerville, Utah), meaning residents can activate service immediately with no construction delays; the post was updated on Wednesday, February 25th @ 11:02am.
  • Details & offer: The deployment was done in partnership with the builder to equip homes from day one; InfoWest is offering an introductory rate of $45/month, local tech support, and installers; residents can activate by calling 435-656-4800 or signing up at https://signup.infowest.com/signup/servicecheck.
• Feb 25, 2026

  Romania’s Coal-to-NuScale SMR Conversion Secures FID, Moves Into Implementation With Caveats

  Nuclearelectrica has approved a final investment decision (FID) for a 462‑MWe six‑module NuScale VOYGR‑6 SMR at the former Doicești coal plant, moving the project from analysis into Stage 3 development.

  • Main announcement: Nuclearelectrica shareholders approved an FID for a 462‑MWe (6×77‑MWe) NuScale VOYGR‑6 SMR at Doicești; the FID is contingent on multiple mandatory conditions (listed in RoPower and Nuclearelectrica annexes) that remain under an eight‑year confidentiality agreement. RoPower (50/50 S.N. Nuclearelectrica S.A. / Nova Power & Gas S.A.) must complete geotechnical investigations, advance licensing, finalize a pre‑EPC contract, negotiate long‑lead equipment, define supply chains, and prepare organization for pre‑EPC/EPC by May 2026, and Stage 3 (pre‑EPC) is expected to last about 15 months to produce a Class 2 cost estimate and contractor shortlist.
  • Background and specifics: The Doicești brownfield was a decommissioned 600‑MW coal station where Nova Power & Gas removed ~600,000 tonnes of material and refurbished site infrastructure including a ~650‑MW grid connection and water access; parallel national nuclear work includes Cernavoda Unit 1 refurbishment (contract ~C$781 million for tooling; Unit 1 investment estimate €1.85 billion) and planning for Units 3 & 4 (estimated €7 billion, with U.S. EXIM letters of interest up to $50 million and up to $3 billion). The FID announcement signals advancing commercial, engineering (NuScale and Fluor FEED), and US government‑backed support (USTDA, EXIM) but remains explicitly conditional on the confidential requirements.
• Feb 25, 2026

  Climate Change Solutions - February 24, 2026

  The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) released a newsletter highlighting data center impacts, policy developments on Capitol Hill, and upcoming briefings and events.

  • Main announcement: EESI highlighted rising household energy costs driven in part by data center demand, noting electricity prices have risen by up to 267% since 2020 in high-concentration data center areas and that wildfires cost the United States up to $424 billion annually. The newsletter features the article “Data Center Power Demands Are Contributing to Higher Energy Bills,” a podcast on wildfire philanthropy, and announces briefings including “Understanding Load Growth and Energy Affordability” on Thursday, February 26 (3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room (Room 2168) and online).

  • Background and other details: The newsletter summaries recent legislative actions and events: Senate Energy Committee advanced the Critical Mineral Consistency Act of 2025 (S.714); House Committee approved the ACERO Act (H.R.390) to authorize NASA’s ACERO project; Senate Foreign Relations agreed to the Protecting Global Fisheries Act of 2026 (S.1369); House introduced the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R.7567). Events listed with dates/times/locations:

    • Understanding Load Growth and Energy Affordability — Feb 26, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room (Room 2168) and online
    • Igniting Innovation: Progress and a Path Forward for Wildfire Policy — Mar 3, 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Russell Senate Office Building, Room 385 and online (Reception to follow)
    • Strategies to Lower Utility Bills Now for Households and Small Businesses — Mar 12, 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room (Room 2168) and online
    • 2026 Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and Policy Forum (EXPO 2026) — Jun 24, 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., Rayburn House Office Building Foyer and Gold Room and online
• Feb 25, 2026

  How Data Centers Are Adapting to Extreme Weather

  Data center industry analysis warns operators to intensify climate resilience planning.

  • Main announcement/action: Industry analysis and expert commentary (S&P Global, World Economic Forum scenarios; Uptime Institute research) highlight rising climate-driven risks to data centers, projecting annual climate-driven costs up to 9.5% of total data center asset value by 2055, with extreme heat responsible for roughly two-thirds of that impact; operators are implementing site selection, hardened construction, hybrid air-and-liquid cooling, closed-loop water systems, and on-site generation use (e.g., generator switchovers during Winter Storm Fern) to manage risk.
  • Background and details: The article documents recent events and regional responses: ERCOT warnings after July 2025 Texas flooding, a DOE emergency order during Winter Storm Fern (start of 2026) authorizing curtailment and encouraging on-site generation, and Brazil market growth projections from Mordor Intelligence ($2.95 billion in 2025 → $3.38 billion in 2026 → $6.67 billion by 2031) alongside Microsoft’s prior ~$2.7 billion pledge to Brazil cloud/AI infrastructure; operators like ValorC3 and Tecto are emphasizing elevated pads, reinforced concrete, seismic criteria, corrosion-resistant materials, and burying fiber as concrete resilience measures.
• Feb 24, 2026

  These data center developers asked Trump for an exemption from pollution rules

  Novva and Thunderhead Energy Solutions requested presidential Clean Air Act exemptions from the EPA under the Trump administration to allow increased generator use at data centers.

  • Main announcement: Novva sought a two-year exemption to run 96 diesel generators without limits while finishing a 200 MW natural gas plant (the plant was earlier described as taking until 2027 to be built, though the article also says the gas plant is “expected to be operational in the coming months”). Thunderhead requested exemptions for 11 data centers consuming a combined 23 GW across Texas, Montana, and Illinois and proposed (in filings) a 5,000-MW gas plant in Winkler County, while publicly announcing a 250-MW plant in Ector County.
  • Background and process details: Companies submitted requests to a special EPA presidential-exemption inbox created under the Trump administration, arguing two required criteria: technology to comply is not available and operations are in the national security interest. An Environmental Defense Fund analysis of obtained records found that of more than 500 exemption requests it reviewed, roughly a third were granted; the EPA said it “played no role” and directed questions to the White House.
• Feb 20, 2026

  GenAI Pushes Cloud to $119B Quarter as AI Networking Race Intensifies

  Synergy Research Group reported a major market acceleration in cloud infrastructure spending and Cisco introduced a new high-throughput ASIC to address AI networking bottlenecks.

  • Main announcement: Synergy Research Group reported Q4 enterprise cloud infrastructure services at $119.1 billion (up ~$12B sequentially and $29B YoY) and a full-year market of $419 billion; Synergy estimates ~30% constant-currency YoY growth in Q4 and highlighted GenAI as the dominant demand driver. The report notes public IaaS/PaaS grew 34% YoY in Q4 and market shares: Amazon 28%, Microsoft 21%, Google 14%; Synergy also reports CoreWeave > $1.5 billion in quarterly cloud revenue.
  • Product and infrastructure details: At Cisco Live EMEA, Cisco launched the Silicon One G300 ASIC (102.4 Tbps) to power Nexus 9000/8000 systems targeting hyperscalers, neoclouds and sovereign clouds, claiming 33% higher network utilization, 28% reduction in AI job completion time, support for 1.6T Ethernet, integrated telemetry and fully liquid-cooled switch designs with ~70% energy efficiency improvement and up to 50% optical power reduction for new 800G optics.
• Feb 20, 2026

  Urban vs. Rural: Why Data Centers Are Built Where They Are

  This article analyzes shifting patterns in data center site selection in the United States and is an analytical overview rather than a new corporate or government announcement.

  • Main finding: Data center site selection is diversifying as power capacity expansion, long-haul fiber, streamlined permitting, and incentives reduce legacy clustering in hubs such as Northern Virginia, Silicon Valley, and the greater Chicago area.
  • Drivers and trade-offs: The piece outlines six selection factors — Infrastructure, Demand Proximity, Economics, Governance, Risk and Resilience, and Community and Social License — and cites emerging markets in parts of Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and Mississippi, alongside growing urban hubs like Boston and Denver.
• Feb 20, 2026

  Urban vs. Rural: Why Data Centers Are Built Where They Are

  The article analyzes a shift in U.S. data center site selection toward greater geographic diversity, including more rural builds.

  • Main finding: The piece argues that as regions expand power capacity, extend long‑haul fiber, and streamline permitting and incentives, legacy hub advantages (e.g., Northern Virginia, Silicon Valley, greater Chicago) are weakening and site selection is diversifying toward a wider set of geographies, including rural areas.
  • Supporting details: The analysis lists core site-selection factors — infrastructure, demand proximity, economics, governance, risk and resilience, and community/social license — and cites emerging growth markets and examples such as parts of Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, and Utah, while noting new urban hubs like Boston and Denver; it also references multi-decade grid requirements and decades of legacy investment in hubs.
• Feb 19, 2026

  Enhanced geothermal systems could expand geothermal power generation

  Fervo Energy is constructing the first large-scale commercial enhanced geothermal system (EGS) power generator in the United States (Cape Generating Station), planned to come online in June 2026.

  • Main announcement:Fervo Energy’s Cape Generating Station is under construction with a planned maximum capacity of 53 MW (28 MW net summer capacity) and is scheduled online June 2026; two additional 53 MW units at the same location are expected to begin operation January 2027, and Fervo has signed two PPAs totaling 320 MW with Southern California Edison for further expansion in 2028.
  • Background and other details: Ongoing federal and commercial efforts include DOE-sponsored FORGE research, Department of Defense partnerships with six geothermal developers to power bases in California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas, a Rodatherm Energy Corp. closed-loop pilot expected by January 2028, and a Meta–SAGE agreement to supply up to 150 MW of new geothermal power east of the Rocky Mountains.