Washington Data Center News

Jul 14, 2026

Microsoft’s data center expansion drove 25% emissions spike in 2025: report

Microsoft has announced its 2026 environmental sustainability report, saying FY2025 emissions rose as AI-driven data center expansion accelerated.

Total emissions reached 20.29 million metric tons of CO2e in FY2025, up 25% year over year from 16.21 million metric tons in FY2024, with the increase primarily driven by data center infrastructure expansion and the end of using non-additional unbundled renewable energy certificates.
Microsoft said it matched all annual global electricity use with renewables through on-site generation, PPAs, green power products, and long-term contracts, and expanded its renewables portfolio to agreements for up to 40 gigawatts of new renewable energy across 26 countries; it also said it contributed to more than 45 million metric tons of carbon removal across 29 projects in 10 removal pathways.

Jul 8, 2026

Plans for 29MW data center in Bonner, Montana, dropped

Krambu’s proposed data center in Bonner, Missoula County, Montana has been withdrawn after the building owner pulled support, so the project will not move forward.

Mike Heisey of Bonner Property Development, LLC said he withdrew his signature from the Krambu special exception application after hearing public concerns, and that the company will not be moving forward with the proposed data center at 9314 Bonner Mill Road.
The project had been expected to reach 29MW at full build-out, with an initial 7MW phase, and it was being considered while Missoula County discussed a possible moratorium and updated zoning rules for data centers; a Change.org petition against the site had gathered more than 48,800 signatures.
Krambu says it was founded in 2017 and offers Nvidia-based GPU hardware, Supermicro servers, colocation, cloud services, and up to 250kW rack densities via direct-to-chip liquid cooling.
The company also lists other projects, including a 10MW site in Spokane, Washington, a 6MW site in Oregon, a 30MW greenfield project in Pennsylvania with Paradox Data, and future pipeline projects in Montana, Ohio, Illinois, and Alberta, Canada.

Jul 8, 2026

Ares invests in Sabey Data Centers

Sabey Corporation and National Real Estate Advisors have announced that Ares Management Corporation’s Secondaries funds have made a minority equity investment in Sabey Data Center Properties (SDCP).

No transaction terms were disclosed; Ares’ capital is intended to support future expansion across Sabey’s existing campuses and new opportunities in key data center markets.
SDCP operates 251MW across about 4 million sq ft and could triple capacity by 2036 on existing landholdings, according to its owners; the announcement also notes Sabey sites in Quincy, Seattle, East Wenatchee, New York City, Austin, Umatilla, Indianapolis, and Ashburn.
The announcement quotes Tim Mirick (SDCP president) and Jeffrey Kanne (National Real Estate Advisors president and CEO); Evercore and Citizens Capital Markets & Advisory advised SDCP on the transaction.

Jul 1, 2026

Why a Calmer Summer Outlook Hasn’t Settled the Capacity Question

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) released its 2026 Summer Reliability Assessment finding adequate anticipated resources across most regions, driven by about 58 GW of new resources but flagging elevated risk in parts of New England, the Northwest, Saskatchewan, and Far West Texas.

Main announcement/action: NERC’s 2026 Summer Reliability Assessment reports ~58 GW of year-on-year new resources (including 30.5 GW solar and 14.7 GW battery storage), upgraded reserves across much of the continent, and identifies local elevated risk areas; the article is a journalistic report synthesizing NERC’s assessment and remarks from EEI 2026 rather than a new primary policy filing. Important concrete figures: 58 GW new capacity, 30.5 GW solar, 14.7 GW battery on-peak capability, Meta $10 billion AI data center (mentioned), NextEra–Dominion $420 billion enterprise value (proposed merger), and Siemens Energy’s >$1 billion U.S. production commitment.
Context and details: The piece summarizes reporting and industry commentary from EEI 2026 and analyst interviews, noting deferred data center load expected in 2–3 years, a projected >85 GW incremental gas capacity entering service 2026–2030 (S&P Global projection), workforce and supply-chain constraints, and political/affordability pressures (transmission cost growth, capacity market strains). It is a synthesized industry analysis and not a primary regulatory filing or single-entity press release.

Jun 24, 2026

20MW data center proposed in Starbucks' Seattle HQ building in Washington

Colossus Data Center Advisors has filed an application to develop a sub-20MW data center at 2401 Utah Ave. S (the Starbucks Center) in Seattle.

Project filing: Colossus submitted a conceptual site plan to the City of Seattle proposing a sub-20MW data center that would occupy 20,000 sq ft in a six-story portion and 25,600 sq ft in the nine-story main building of the Starbucks Center at 2401 Utah Ave. S; no tenant has been secured and the submission was described as a feasibility gauge.
Background and context: The space is a former Amazon Fresh retail/distribution site (Amazon exited ~2024); the Starbucks Center totals 1.8 million sq ft and is owned by Nitze‑Stagen & Co. The proposed 20MW size would sit below Seattle’s newly introduced data center moratorium threshold; Colossus did not respond to press requests and has previously pursued (and dropped) other regional projects.

Jun 12, 2026

Amazon claims its data centers are 7x more water-efficient than the industry average

Amazon has published new water-efficiency figures for its global data center operations, positioning the company ahead of rivals on WUE and disclosing methods and regional practices.

Main announcement: Amazon says it achieved a 52% improvement in water efficiency over the last 5 years, reporting a WUE of 0.12 L/kWh in 2025 (compared with an industry average of 0.84 L/kWh), claims its data centers are 7x more water-efficient than the industry average, and reports returning 3 US gallons to communities for every 4 gallons used, stating it is 75% of the way to a water-positive 2030 goal. It attributes gains to free air cooling (~90% of the time), evaporative cooling, raised operating temperature thresholds (85° F), and use of reclaimed water across 130 facilities (26 using reclaimed water exclusively).
Context and background: The figures were published amid increased disclosure pressure and two days after Seattle imposed a one-year freeze on new large data centers citing water concerns; the article references competitor WUE figures (Microsoft 0.27 L/kWh in 2025, Google ~1.15 L/kWh, Meta ~0.20 L/kWh) and highlights industry discussion on metrics (WUE, PUE ~1.15 for Amazon), regional disclosure commitments, and emerging dynamics due to AI infrastructure and location-specific water constraints.

Jun 9, 2026

From Tail Risk to Design Baseline: How the Grid Is Adapting to Extreme Heat

POWER (Sonal Patel) reports that system planners and grid operators are now treating extreme heat as an assumed operating condition rather than a tail risk.

Main announcement/action: POWER summarizes that system planners and reliability entities (notably NERC and FERC) and operators are treating extreme heat as a design baseline, citing metrics such as EIA projection of ~1,610 CDDs for 2026 (4% above 2025), NERC’s 2026 Summer Reliability Assessment (net internal demand up 1.3% to 790 GW, and >58 GW of new on-peak capacity including 16.4 GW solar, 14.7 GW batteries, 6.7 GW natural gas, 1.6 GW wind), and FERC’s forecast of $46.81/MWh average wholesale price for summer 2026. The piece catalogues operational changes (hourly ambient-adjusted transmission ratings, dynamic line ratings pilots, ADMS/DERMS deployments) and emergency interventions (DOE Section 202(c) orders covering roughly 4,400 MW of extended capacity service).
Background and details: The article documents drought risks (FERC: 62% of continental U.S. impacted; Lake Powell inflow forecast at 13% of average), potential loss of up to 4,500 MW of Colorado River hydropower as soon as August 2026, rapid data center load growth (from 44 GW in 2025 to 55 GW in 2026, ~25%), and operational timelines (PJM implemented AAR on March 4, 2026; SPP expects AAR by Sept. 1, 2026; MISO full compliance by Q2 2028).

Jun 7, 2026

George Tronsrue: America’s Arctic Blind Spot

Quintillion has built a U.S.-controlled High-Latitude Data Acquisition platform (HiLDA) in Utqiaġvik and its CEO is urging immediate federal investment and integration of Arctic ground-station capacity into national defense planning.

Main action: Quintillion completed the world’s northernmost commercial satellite ground station on American soil, the High-Latitude Data Acquisition platform (HiLDA), in Utqiaġvik in 2021; the CEO calls for federal attention, investment, and integration into national defense planning now to create U.S. redundancy for polar-orbiting satellite communications.
Background and details: The article documents nearly three decades of U.S. reliance on the Svalbard Satellite Station (Norway), cites the Pentagon on rising Russian and Chinese Arctic activity, and notes HiLDA links directly to major cloud and internet exchange hubs in Seattle and Portland, is supported by triple-redundant fiber connectivity and high-capacity, low latency satellite backhaul, and emphasizes Alaska’s nine military installations and missile defense dependence on instantaneous communications.

Jun 3, 2026

Data Center Jobs: Engineering, Construction, Commissioning, Sales, Field Service and Facility Tech Jobs Available in Major Data Center Hotspots

Data Center Frontier, in partnership with Pkaza, posts the latest data center career opportunities on its jobs board.

Main announcement: Data Center Frontier and Pkaza have published a roundup of active data center job openings covering roles such as Mechanical Applications Engineer, Electrical Commissioning Engineer, Project Coordinator, Architect Design Manager, Electrical Project Manager, Commissioning Project Manager, Controls PM, Facility Operations Director, Project Executive (Owner’s Rep), and other critical-facilities positions across multiple U.S. locations (examples include Pittsburgh, PA; New Albany, OH; Ashburn, VA; Charlotte, NC; Denver, CO; Naperville, IL). Many roles note remote, traveling, or multiple-city availability and relocation options where specified.
Background / details: This is a recurring/monthly jobs-posting series powered by Pkaza Critical Facilities Recruiting and the Data Center Frontier jobs board; listings emphasise employer needs for MEP/critical facilities design, commissioning, mission-critical power and cooling expertise, energy efficiency and LEED experience, and include travel/remote work options and multiple-site listings for several roles. No monetary values, contract amounts, or deal announcements are included.

Jun 2, 2026

Climate Change Solutions - June 2, 2026

EESI announced its new analysis of bipartisanship on climate and energy in the 119th Congress and is hosting its 29th annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO on June 24.

Main announcement: EESI released a new analysis of bipartisanship on environmental, energy, and climate bills (analysis covers January–March 2026) and is convening EXPO 2026 on June 24, 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., Rayburn House Office Building (Gold Room and Foyer) and online (reception 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.); event is free and open to the public with RSVP available.
Additional details / context: The newsletter summarizes congressional activity including the House Appropriations Committee advancing the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2027 (H.R.9022), multiple geothermal bills advanced by the House Committee on Natural Resources (e.g., Geo Act H.R.301, H.R.398, H.R.1077, H.R.1687, H.R.5617, H.R.5631, H.R.5638), introduction and markup of the BUILD America 250 Act (H.R.8870), and the Community Flood Resilience Act (H.R.9056) introduced by Reps. Andrew Garbarino and Gregory Meeks.

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