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Virginia Data Center Intel
Latest data center news, projects, power and policy across Virginia — updated daily.
Virginia · Construction & power moves · 40
full tracker →Land, power, and interconnection moves across Virginia — each traced to primary filings.
Recent Virginia data center news
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Data center demand pushes organizations to secondary markets: JLL
Data center demand remains strong despite concerns. JLL reports preleased capacity for 2024, necessitating early IT planning. Northern Virginia and Phoenix drive primary market activity. Secondary markets offer cost-effective solutions. Generative AI’s power needs spur activity in New York and New Jersey. Colocation providers and hyperscalers enhance infrastructure for AI services.
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Maryland ratepayer advocate urges FERC to reject PJM’s $5.1B transmission cost allocation plan
The Maryland ratepayer advocate is urging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to reject PJM’s $5.1 billion transmission cost allocation plan. The dispute stems from PJM’s 2022 Regional Transmission Expansion Plan and the allocation of costs for transmission projects. The ratepayer advocate argues that the costs should be allocated based on who benefits from the projects, highlighting the economic benefits going to Virginia through the development of data centers. Additionally, the advocate objects to PJM’s plan to base incentives on 2022 load instead of 2028 forecast load. PJM has requested that the proposed cost allocation be allowed to take effect by April 9.
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FirstEnergy increases 5-year spending plan 44%, to $26B, drops 2030 carbon goal
FirstEnergy plans to increase its 5-year spending plan by 44% to $26 billion. The company will focus on improving its distribution system, including grid modernization and investments in clean energy technologies. However, FirstEnergy has dropped its goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 30% below 2019 levels by 2030. The company still aims to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2050. FirstEnergy’s fourth-quarter income from continuing operations improved significantly compared to the previous year.
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Tracking electricity consumption from U.S. cryptocurrency mining operations
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Amazon to invest $10B in 2 Mississippi data centers
Amazon plans to invest $10 billion in two data centers in Mississippi. This follows the company’s previous investments of $2.3 billion in the state, including fulfillment centers, solar farms, and a wind farm. The investment is expected to create hundreds of high-tech jobs. Amazon has been increasingly interested in data centers to enhance its technological capabilities. The company has made significant investments in data centers across different states, such as Ohio and Illinois. Additionally, Amazon plans to demolish office buildings in Virginia to make room for more data center facilities.
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Virginia lawmaker proposes data center efficiency bill, possibly affecting Dominion Energy
A proposed bill in Virginia could impact Dominion Energy and data center operators. The bill requires data centers to meet certain energy efficiency standards and procure renewable energy. Data centers using diesel fuel for backup power would be disqualified from tax exemptions. Annual reports would be required to demonstrate compliance. Dominion Energy estimates data center load in Virginia to grow to 10 GW by 2035.