Getting your news
Attempting to reconnect
Finding the latest in Climate
Hang in there while we load your news feed
Virginia Data Center Intel
Latest data center news, projects, power and policy across Virginia — updated daily.
Recent Virginia data center news
-
Data centers boom again, boost construction planning
The Dodge data indicates an increase in data center planning, countering a two-month decline. Construction companies are emphasizing data center projects in earnings calls. Growth in office and hotel construction is slow; education and healthcare planning declined due to uncertain interest rates. Interest rate cuts may stimulate nonresidential project growth.
-
Dual-phase immersion cooling can lower future cost of ownership in most cases, case study finds
A study on dual-phase immersion cooling for data centers in different locations found future savings potential. Two-phase cooling had lower 10-year total cost of ownership in present-day scenarios due to lower operating costs. However, its efficiency and costs depend on system design and operation quality, impacting overall ownership costs. LiquidStack CEO Joe Capes highlighted the importance of managing fluid loss for optimal system performance and cost efficiency.
-
AEP faces 15 GW of new load, driven by Amazon, Google, other data centers: interim CEO Fowke
AEP anticipates 15 GW of new load from data centers like Amazon Web Services and Google, reflecting a growing demand for electricity. Interim CEO Fowke suggests developing new tariffs to support this growth. AEP plans significant capital investments to enhance grid resiliency and manage the anticipated load growth, which could necessitate additional generation and transmission.
-
FirstEnergy may ‘put a little money on the table’ to help end HB 6 bribery litigation: CEO
FirstEnergy CEO Tierney discusses growth potential in states like Maryland, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, emphasizing data center expansion. The company’s proactive capital spending approach, supported by the sale of a stake to Brookfield for $3.5 billion, aims to enhance reliability and customer experience. Regulatory wins drive positive outcomes.
-
DPR Construction tapped for Virginia data center job
DPR Construction will work on a new data center project in Virginia. Gensler is the architect, Timmons Group will handle civil engineering, and Chirisa is upgrading its existing facility. The region remains a hub for data centers, with companies like Skanska, Clark Construction Group, and Amazon investing in the area.
-
The Future of AI will require an energy breakthrough. The answer is a fusion moonshot.
The Biden administration aims to tackle energy challenges in AI with fusion technology. Lawrence Livermore National Lab achieves milestones in fusion energy, sparking global investments. Success in fusion may enhance AI development. The US is called to pursue a moonshot approach for large-scale fusion reactors, promising a transformative energy future.
-
FERC approves PJM’s $5.1B cost-share plan for transmission to be built by Dominion, others
FERC approved PJM’s $5.1B transmission plan involving Dominion, Exelon, FirstEnergy, PPL, NextEra, Transource, and Public Service Electric & Gas. Disagreements arose over allocating costs to Virginia due to data center growth incentives, with FERC rejecting a larger share for Virginia. FERC Commissioners Clements and Christie highlighted the regional nature of PJM’s system and advocated for state involvement in resolving cost allocation issues for projects driven by state policies.
-
States shouldn’t have to pay for transmission driven by other states’ policies: FERC’s Christie
Mark Christie, a FERC commissioner, opposes making states pay for transmission projects supporting other states’ energy policies. He highlights unfairness and potential litigation risks, urging voluntary consent for costs. NextEra Energy Transmission’s Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link project and Talen Energy’s Brandon Shores plant retirement are linked to state policies and face cost allocation challenges.
-
AI growth pushes data center cooling upgrades, greater density, other innovations
AI and edge computing spur data center demand, with Northern Virginia witnessing significant growth. Legislation is being considered to mandate power efficiency and renewable energy use for tax benefits. Modine and Johnson Controls are enhancing their data center offerings, with Modine acquiring Scott Springfield and Johnson Controls reporting strong HVAC sales.
-
Skanska signs $242M Virginia data center contract
Skanska secured a $242 million contract to construct a 250,000-square-foot data center in Virginia for an undisclosed client. The project includes site work, an administration space fit-out, and three data halls. This project is part of Amazon Web Services’ development in Manassas, Virginia, known for its robust data center industry. Skanska also recently announced another $82 million data center project in Arizona.