Utah Data Center Intel

Recent Utah data center news

• 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

  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 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 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.
• Feb 18, 2026

  Utah’s 4 GW AI Campus Tests the Limits of Speed-to-Power

  Joule Capital Partners (branded “Joule Power”) in partnership with Caterpillar has advanced a proposal to develop an AI-focused data center campus on ~4,000 acres in Millard County, Utah, anchored by on-site engine-based generation; groundbreaking occurred in November 2025 but final site plans and key conditional use permits remain pending.

  • Main announcement/action: Joule (with Caterpillar) is pursuing a zone change for ~4,000 acres to Heavy Industrial and is advancing an initial entitlement scenario described as six buildings each paired with fleets of Caterpillar natural-gas generators (reports cite 69 generators per building), framing the campus as a 4-gigawatt development with 1.1 GWh of battery storage; project materials and public filings (air permits) report ~4,380 tons/year of regulated pollutants and ~1,380 tons/year of NOx, and Joule asserts >10,000 acre-feet/year of secured groundwater rights.

  • Context and status (background): This is a follow-up to earlier coverage (not a first-time announcement); public meetings (July 2025) and local reporting highlight community concerns (noise, emissions, water, traffic, farmland loss), groundbreaking in Nov 2025, and pending conditional use permits and air permits; reported broader site scaling toward up to 12 GW is tied to future entitlements and demand, and regulatory outcomes (BACT/LAER determinations, monitoring, noise limits, water metering) remain unresolved and could materially affect timeline and equipment configuration.

• Jan 30, 2026

  Top 20 countries by the number of data centers in 2025

  DevelopmentAid publishes an overview of the global data center market, trends, and investment forecasts.

  • Main summary: The article provides a market overview noting the United States leads with 4,165 data centers (about 3,000 more being built/planned) and estimates the sector could reach US$22.7 billion by 2030 driven by generative AI, cloud services, 5G, and IoT. It cites major investment figures including Google >€5.5 billion (US$6.37 billion) in Germany and a €1 billion project involving Nvidia and Deutsche Telekom.
  • Background & details: The piece aggregates third-party reports and data (Statista, Axios, McKinsey, JLL, Datum, Baxtel, Global Data Center Hub) and provides regional details: McKinsey’s US$6.7 trillion capex by 2030 (US$5.2 trillion for AI-optimized facilities, US$1.5 trillion for typical IT), Latin America growth from ~US$5bn (2023) to >US$10bn by 2029, and capacity/footprint statistics for countries and hyperscale operators. It is an informational market overview, not a primary announcement of a single new project with implementation timelines.
• Jan 28, 2026

  The POWER Interview: A Path Forward for Geothermal Energy

  Rodatherm Energy Corp. completed an oversubscribed $38-million Series A funding round and is developing closed-loop AGS pilot projects in Beaver and Millard counties, Utah.

  • Main announcement: Rodatherm completed an $38-million Series A (September last year) and is piloting its closed-loop, refrigerant-based Advanced Geothermal System (AGS) in Beaver and Millard counties, Utah, seeking to validate efficiency versus traditional water-based systems.
  • Background/details: The company is Utah-based with operations in Calgary, Canada, claims its organic working fluid yields ~50% more power output than water-based systems, targets data centers and communities for baseload power, and lists investors including Evok Innovations, TDK Ventures, Toyota Ventures, TechEnergy Ventures, MCJ, Active Impact Investments, Renewal Funds, The Grantham Foundation, and Giga Investments.
• Jan 28, 2026

  Investment in next-generation geothermal is surging. Policies are key to further growth – EQ

  The IEA reports that investment in next-generation geothermal reached nearly USD 2.2 billion in 2025.

  • Main announcement: The IEA analysis shows next-generation geothermal financing reached nearly USD 2.2 billion in 2025 (up 80% YoY from USD 22 million in 2018); conventional geothermal funding hit nearly USD 5 billion and geothermal heating projects secured over USD 11.5 billion in 2025. The report highlights public grants ~9% of next-gen funding, and that debt financing now accounts for nearly 30% of sector finance.
  • Background and specifics: The analysis cites technology and industry examples: FORGE and collaborators (e.g., Fervo, which raised over USD 1 billion between 2022–2025) improved drilling rates (up to 30 m/h); corporate offtake examples include Google–NV Energy (115 MW Corsac PPA) and Meta’s 150 MW commitment from Sage starting 2027; electricity contract prices rose from USD 30–60/MWh typical of earlier guarantees to about USD 130/MWh in some recent deals.
• Jan 26, 2026

  Vanderbilt Report Argues for 'Dig Once' Policies to Reduce Fiber Instillation Costs

  Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator released a report in December recommending strong “dig once” laws to require installation of conduit during any roadway excavation, shifting conduit installation responsibility toward governments to reduce costs and speed fiber deployment.

  • Main recommendation: Require strong “dig once” laws for federally funded road construction so governments install conduit whenever roads are built or repaired; the report cites studies finding 75% to 90% of fiber deployment costs stem from digging up and repairing roadways (Fiber Broadband Association 2024; FHWA 2012).
  • Context and details: The report notes federal legislative attempts were weakened into notification requirements (states notify ISPs when construction occurs); highlights state examples such as Utah (62.5% fiber coverage vs national average 49%) and other states with laws (California, Washington, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa); it references June 2026 BEAD revisions and urges Congress, during 2026 surface transportation reauthorization, to mandate dig once on federally funded projects.