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Virginia Data Center Intel
Latest data center news, projects, power and policy across Virginia — updated daily.
Recent Virginia data center news
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The race to AI: Expect the unexpected
Schneider Electric commits to working with partners like Nvidia and data center operators to support AI demand while developing and executing sustainability strategies.
- Main announcement/action: Schneider Electric will work with partners (including Nvidia) and data center operators to deliver power and sustainability solutions for AI workloads, including on-site Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and strategies to manage emergency generators using biodiesel; the company frames this as supporting immediate AI demand while transitioning away from higher-carbon “bridge power“ sources.
- Background and concrete details: The article notes Northern Virginia’s Data Center Alley (processing about 70% of the world’s internet traffic) is considering using power from coal-fired plants in West Virginia, and a planned 360MW data center campus in Abilene, TX (Stargate JV) has applied to build a natural gas plant as bridge power with plans to replace it later; the piece also cites use of VPPAs/RECs, the role of BESS, and an Nvidia GPU backlog until 2026 as concrete implementation/timing details.
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Data center heat could make US campuses more efficient, experts say
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Powering AI without breaking the grid: Three pathways for sustainable development
Schneider Electric Sustainability Research Institute published a new analysis on AI’s rising energy demands and risks to the U.S. power grid.
- Main announcement: The report finds that by 2030, AI alone could account for up to half of the country’s total load growth, representing an increase of over 29 gigawatts beyond current grid capacity; it identifies three actionable pathways — efficiency (bend demand), grid modernization, and rethinking data center power supply — to align AI growth with decarbonization goals.
- Background and details: The analysis highlights regional stress points in Texas and Northern Virginia, calls for expanded transmission capacity, more storage and demand flexibility, and upgraded digital control infrastructure; it also notes data center measures such as on-site renewables, battery storage, energy-aware scheduling, and participation in virtual power plants as concrete implementation approaches.
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Data Center REITs See Robust Demand Despite Power, Supply Constraints
The article discusses the robust demand in the U.S. data center sector driven mainly by AI and hyperscaler technology companies.
- Data center REITs benefit from unprecedented growth fueled by AI, cloud computing, 5G, and digital services, with hyperscalers driving record expansion.
- Power constraints present a key challenge, including securing long-term power access and transmission, with exploration of alternative power sources like gas plants and mothballed nuclear power plants.
- Liquid cooling technologies are becoming increasingly necessary to manage higher power densities in AI training and inferencing workloads.
- Major markets include Northern Virginia, Atlanta, Phoenix, Columbus (Ohio), West Texas, and Reno (Nevada), with international revenue significant, especially in Asia.
- The Stargate Project involves a $500 billion investment to develop digital infrastructure; tariffs might affect construction cost and supply chains.
The article highlights opportunities and challenges ahead for REITs in the data center industry amid evolving AI demands and power supply issues, suggesting strategic expansion and financing approaches.
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Sustainable AI infrastructure: A scenario-based forecast of water footprint under uncertainty
- A global assessment quantifies the water footprint of AI-driven data centres distinguishing between operational water, off-site electricity generation water, and embodied water in hardware manufacture.
- Scenario-based probabilistic forecasting until 2050 projects global water use could increase more than sevenfold without mitigation, with majority from cooling-related operational use.
- Mitigation includes improving cooling efficiency, adopting alternative technologies like liquid and immersion cooling, and regional infrastructure planning based on water availability.
- Focus on efficiency and infrastructure planning aligns AI expansion with long-term sustainability goals and addresses water stress in vulnerable regions.
- The rapid rise in AI computational demand follows an exponential trend increasing water consumption considerably, highlighting the urgency for sustainable digital infrastructure policies.
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TMEIC Breaks Ground on Third Manufacturing Facility in Texas
TMEIC Corporation Americas has announced the development of a new 267,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Waller County, Texas, scheduled to open in June 2026. The facility will produce uninterruptible power supplies and medium voltage drives, supporting data centers, oil and gas markets, and other critical infrastructure sectors. The project has received support from the Texas Enterprise Fund and local property tax incentives, with an initial creation of 200 jobs and plans to expand to 500. The site will include training centers, research laboratories, and sustainable energy systems incorporating photovoltaic and energy storage solutions.
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ChemTreat Cooling Upgrades at DOE Supercomputing Lab Offer Scalable Model for AI Data Centers
ChemTreat’s white paper details successful implementation of advanced water treatment solutions at a DOE national laboratory in the US. The project optimized cooling and supercomputer systems, reduced corrosion and microbiological issues, and transitioned to a closed-loop system that saved 34 million gallons of water annually. The initiatives also reduced phosphate in wastewater discharge, supporting environmental sustainability. The collaboration showcased scalable models for AI data centers, emphasizing operational and environmental benefits.
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Graycor hires construction vet to lead Southwest division
Graycor Construction has appointed Brett Helm as general manager of its Southwest Division based in Phoenix.
- Helm brings 30 years of industry experience to support the warehouse and distribution portfolio.
- Focus areas include advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, data centers, and strategic portfolio growth.
- Graycor highlights Phoenix’s advantage for data centers due to lower power costs and reduced natural disaster risks.
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Key regional projects by Graycor include Elliot Gateway industrial park, Rinchem chemical warehouses, Mlily manufacturing and distribution facility, and SkyBridge Arizona cargo processing site.
The appointment and focus confirm Graycor’s commitment to infrastructure growth in the Southwest region.
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Townsend Group Invests in CleanArc Data Centers
CleanArc Data Centers has announced a strategic investment from Townsend Group, a global real estate investment advisory firm. Townsend, which advises sovereign and pension plans, has made a significant investment to support CleanArc’s development of hyperscale data center campuses focused on renewable energy. The investment aims to facilitate the construction of a new data center campus in Virginia, with a capacity of 300 MW scheduled to be operational by Q1 2027. Snowhawk Partners will remain the majority stakeholder in CleanArc, supporting its expansion to meet the demands of hyperscale customers for sustainable data infrastructure. This partnership emphasizes CleanArc’s focus on sustainability, renewable energy, and future technology capabilities such as AI and cloud services.
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Data Center Energy Needs Could Upend Power Grids and Threaten the Climate
This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the energy consumption and sustainability challenges posed by rapidly increasing data centers in the United States.
- As of March 2025, there were 5,426 data centers nationally, consuming about 17 GW of power in 2022, with projections to increase to 130 GW by 2030.
- Approximately 56% of the electricity used in these data centers is sourced from fossil fuels, significantly contributing to carbon emissions and climate change.
- Data centers emitted about 105 million metric tons of carbon in 2023, up from 31.5 million tons in 2018, marking a 300% increase.
- Virginia, especially Northern Virginia, is a major hub with hundreds of data centers consuming more than 3 GW power, mostly from fossil fuels, posing challenges to renewable energy goals.
- Sustainable solutions include siting data centers near renewable energy sources, on-site renewable generation, and energy efficiency measures.
The article underscores the urgent need for sustainable energy strategies in data center operations to mitigate climate impact.