Virginia Data Center Intel

Recent Virginia data center news

• Jan 16, 2026

  Google Buys 1.2 GW of Carbon-free Energy to Power Data Centers Across U.S.

  Clearway announced a series of long-term PPAs with Google to deliver nearly 1.2 GW of carbon-free energy to power Google data centers.

  • Main announcement: Clearway announced long-term PPAs with Google for nearly 1.2 GW of carbon-free energy from new projects located in Missouri, Texas, and West Virginia, supplying grids serving Google data centers in SPP, ERCOT, and PJM for up to 20 years.
  • Project details & timeline: Construction is expected to begin this year, with first sites coming online in 2027 and 2028, and the portfolio represents more than $2.4 billion in investment in infrastructure. Additional context: Google has signed 170+ agreements for over 22 GW of clean energy since 2010 and reported a 12% reduction in data center emissions in 2024.
• Jan 15, 2026

  PJM Dials Back Near-Term Load Outlook but Maintains Steep Long-Term Growth Trajectory

  PJM Interconnection issued its 2026 Long-Term Load Forecast on Jan. 14, 2026, trimming near-term peak-demand projections while reaffirming steep long-term growth driven by data centers and electrification.

  • Near-term adjustments: PJM reduced projected summer peak demand by 2,564 MW for 2026 (-1.6%), 4,414 MW for the 2028 summer peak used in the capacity auction (-2.6%), and 1,630 MW for the 2031 summer peak used in transmission planning (-0.8%); the 2026 update attributes near-term declines to large loads (-0.7%), economic activity (-0.5%), and EVs (-0.1%) and notes updated economic inputs from Moody’s Analytics (Sept 2025).
  • Long-term framework and scope: The report projects average annual summer peak growth of 3.6% (next decade) and roughly +85,000 MW over 15 years, formalizes a new “firm” vs “non-firm” vetting framework via the Load Adjustment Request Implementation document (published July 2025) that requires Electric Service Obligations or Construction Commitments for near-term (<=3 years) large loads, and reports adjustments across 15 transmission zones (14 influenced by data center development).
• Jan 15, 2026

  Elevate Renewables Acquires Major Battery Storage Project in PJM

  Elevate Renewables has announced the acquisition of the Prospect Power battery storage project.

  • Acquisition details: Elevate Renewables (an Arclight portfolio company) has acquired the Prospect Power project: a 150-MW / 600-MWh standalone battery storage installation in Rockingham County, northern Virginia; the project is under construction and is expected to enter commercial operation mid-2026 (this summer). It is fully contracted under a 15-year PPA with Dominion Energy Virginia.
  • Background and strategy: The project sits within PJM Interconnection’s Data Center Alley and is positioned to support grid reliability amid rising load from data centers, AI, and electrification; Elevate says it will continue to scale battery storage across PJM and uses a co-location strategy with thermal generation to accelerate deployment and lower costs.
• Jan 15, 2026

  Google warns grid connection delays are now the biggest threat to data center expansion

  Google warns transmission grid connection delays up to 12 years are becoming the defining limit on AI-era data center growth.

  • Main announcement/action: Google (via Marsden Hanna, global head of sustainability and climate policy) said “transmission barriers are the number one challenge we’re seeing on the grid,” reporting utilities quoting four-to-ten-year interconnection timelines and one utility citing 12 years just to study an interconnection request; Google is exploring co-location adjacent to power plants but states a strong preference for grid-connected load.
  • Background and details:Berkeley Lab projects data center electricity consumption rising from 176 TWh (2023) to 325–580 TWh (2028); nearly 2,300 GW of generation and storage capacity sits in interconnection queues; permitting for regional transmission lines takes 7–11 years; co-location pricing has jumped 20% in power-constrained markets; Goldman Sachs Research estimates $720 billion in grid spending may be needed through 2030, and the DOE estimates up to 100 GW could be unlocked via advanced transmission technologies.
• Jan 14, 2026

  Patented: Machine Learning Treatment for Depression and More North Texas Inventive Activity

  The Board of Regents of the University of Texas System, Stanford University, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have been granted a patent for a machine-learning method to identify depression patients likely to respond to antidepressant treatment.

  • Main announcement: The three institutions received USPTO Patent No. 12490933 for a method that uses machine learning to identify subjects with depression who will respond to antidepressant treatment, listing Madhukar Trivedi among the inventors; the patent application listed is 19072469 on 03/06/2025 (278 days app to issue).
  • Background and context: The article is a Dallas Innovates weekly patents roundup reporting 100 patents granted in the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metro for the week of 12/9/25 (ranked No. 11 of 250 metros); it catalogs numerous other patents and top assignees (e.g., Texas Instruments Inc. (10 patents), Toyota (9), Samsung (7)) and provides USPTO links for individual patents.
• Jan 14, 2026

  Climate Change Solutions - January 13, 2026

  The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) announced its first Congressional briefing of the year, a wildfire solutions briefing on Tuesday, January 27, hosted with the Federation of American Scientists.

  • Main announcement: EESI will host a Congressional briefing titled “Igniting Innovation: Progress and a Path Forward for Wildfire Policy” on Tuesday, January 27, 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. (reception to follow) at Russell Senate Office Building, Room SR-385 and online; RSVP available on the EESI briefing page and a reception follows the briefing.
  • Background & related actions: The newsletter summarizes recent federal actions signed by the President including MAPWaters (P.L. 119-62) improving recreational waterway data collection, Save Our Seas 2.0 (P.L. 119-65) reauthorizing EPA marine debris programs, Great Lakes Fishery Research Reauthorization (P.L. 119-67) for USGS research funding, and La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act (P.L. 119-68) (expected to create more than 700 jobs and provide enough solar and battery capacity to power about 75,000 homes); it also notes wildfire costs of $424 billion annually and highlights EESI coverage on data center water use (cited by multiple media outlets).
• Jan 14, 2026

  Emerging Data Center Markets: Key Locations to Watch in 2026

  Cushman & Wakefield reports that power and land constraints in major U.S. data center hubs are driving operators to consider secondary and tertiary markets.

  • Main announcement: Cushman & Wakefield finds power and land constraints in primary hubs (Northern Virginia, Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, Atlanta, Portland/Eastern Oregon) are shifting site selection toward secondary/tertiary markets; highlights include OpenAI’s Stargate (~$100 billion) and Vantage Frontier (~$25+ billion) as large upcoming projects.
  • Details/background: Regions such as Pennsylvania, the Carolinas, Central Washington, New Jersey, and Massachusetts are offering economic incentives, faster approvals, and flexible regulatory frameworks; Central Washington offers low-cost hydro power enabling 100% renewable operation but is also facing power constraints.
• Jan 14, 2026

  Power, Not Space: The Colocation Battleground in 2026

  GridFree AI launched its South Dallas One site in December 2025, targeting to deliver more than 1.5 GW within 24 months from lease signing by operating off-grid.

  • Main announcement/action: GridFree AI’s South Dallas One will operate off-grid and aims to deliver >1.5 GW within 24 months from lease signing, outpacing the typical four-year timeline for traditional developments; this demonstrates a push toward power-advantaged site selection and accelerated delivery timelines.
  • Context and additional details: The article frames this within a broader industry shift: global colocation market forecast from $104.2 billion (2025) to $204.4 billion (2030); primary market vacancy fell to 1.6% H1 2025; ~3/4 of 5,242 MW under development in North America are pre-leased; pricing reached $184 per kW per month for 250–500 kW deployments; notable capital commitments include Anthropic’s $50 billion buildout (including a $7 billion, 15-year lease for 245 MW) and Nscale’s $865 million agreement for 40 MW. Supply-chain and memory/storage shortages are expected to persist into Q3 2026.
• Jan 13, 2026

  Microsoft's Brad Smith Pushes Big Tech to 'Pay Our Way' for AI Data Centers

  Microsoft is urging that the tech industry — not taxpayers — should pay the full costs for electricity, transmission and grid upgrades needed to support large AI data centers, as promoted by Microsoft president Brad Smith in meetings with federal lawmakers.

  • Main action: Microsoft (Brad Smith) is pushing a plan for industry-funded grid and transmission upgrades, proposing a rate tariff and saying the company will help pay additional costs in states like Wisconsin; Microsoft also referenced a 150-megawatt solar farm and reiterated its carbon-negative by 2030 commitment.
  • Background and details: Local opposition cites higher electricity prices, heavy water use, and land/quality-of-life concerns; examples include a multibillion-dollar Amazon data center in Hobart, Indiana with two $5 million permit payments and $175 million in milestone payments over three years, and regional rate impacts in Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic grid. The article is an edited AP interview (Matt O’Brien and Marc Levy).
• Jan 13, 2026

  Winter Orange County Updates

  The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) reports that the Orange County Board of Supervisors approved a new Technology zoning district allowing broad rezoning for data centers, while the Town of Orange Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on proposed data center ordinance changes on Jan. 13. PEC also details ongoing PFAS biosolids permitting processes, a withdrawn 1.2 GW gas plant proposal in Orange County, and a permanent Agricultural Land Easement protecting 365 acres with PEC and the Willis family.

  • Main announcement / action: The Orange County Board approved a Technology zoning district that “allows practically any parcel of land, anywhere in the county, to be rezoned for data centers”; the Town of Orange Planning Commission will consider draft ordinance amendments at a public hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 13 @ 6 p.m., Town of Orange Community Meeting Room, 235 Warren Street, Orange. PEC urges the Town to prohibit hyperscale data centers over 40,000 square feet and to require special use permits where data centers remain allowed.
  • Background and other details: DEQ held a public hearing in October on a permit to spread PFAS-contaminated biosolids and will hold a second hearing before a final decision; PEC reports 75% of Arlington WPCP biosolids (including over 7,000 tons in Orange County since 2018) are land-applied across the PEC region and DEQ is proposing to renew the Arlington WPCP permit without PFAS testing or limits.
    • DEQ Arlington County public hearing: Thursday, Jan. 15 @ 7 p.m., Innovation Elementary School, 2300 Key Blvd, Arlington (opportunity to speak in person).
    • Land conservation action: PEC and the Willis family completed an Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) protecting 365 acres and 3.2 miles of river frontage (federal grant facilitated the easement).