Washington Data Center Intel

Recent Washington data center news

• Apr 9, 2026

  From Reactor Designs to Real Projects: SMRs Enter the Execution Era as AI Power Demand Accelerates

  Data Center Frontier reports that the SMR story in early 2026 has moved from reactor design discussion to concrete industrial execution focused on permits, fuel, supply chains, financing, and customer traction.

  • Main announcement / action: Through Q1 2026 (notably March), multiple vendors advanced from partnership announcements to tangible progress: TerraPower secured an NRC construction permit for Natrium; Holtec had its LWA docketed for two SMR-300 units at Palisades and is pursuing preliminary construction and a partnership with Hyundai Engineering & Construction (aiming at up to 10 GW in North America); X-energy confidentially filed for an IPO (Reuters, March 20) and signed MOUs with Talen Energy (evaluating multiple four-unit Xe-100 deployments) and IHI to strengthen U.S.-Japan supply chains.
  • Background and other details: Vendors are addressing three execution constraints: regulatory progress, manufacturing and fuel ecosystems (e.g., NuScale expanded its Framatome fuel partnership and planned U.S. production at Richland; Oklo and Centrus plan HALEU-related joint activities at Piketon, Ohio; Kairos secured a HALEU contract with DOE), and customer alignment (growing emphasis on industrial users, utilities, and data-center-driven load). Additional milestones: GE Hitachi advanced BWRX-300 deployment work (Step 2 UK GDA, MoUs in Southeast Asia and Poland) and Rolls-Royce SMR received a UK Justification Decision and partnered on supply-chain and control-systems work.
• Apr 6, 2026

  5 surprising ways homeowners are fighting back against local polluters

  Multiple U.S. residents and community groups have launched legal actions and local opposition against polluters and data-center projects.

  • Class action & insurance impacts:Two homeowners in Washington state filed a class action lawsuit against Big Oil companies alleging decades of deception about fossil fuels and climate harms; the suit covers homeowners nationwide who purchased insurance after 2017 or plan to, and the article notes home insurance premiums in Washington rose more than 50% since 2019.
  • Local actions and project specifics:Dr. Tim Grosser (Kentucky) refused to sell land to “one of the largest AI companies in the world” for a data center; xAI’s Memphis facility reportedly consumes enough energy to power 100,000 homes and its methane turbines have increased smog by up to 60%; a limestone quarry in northern Alabama was ordered to temporarily cease operations over dust, light, and noise complaints; Zero Waste Ithaca (organized by Yayoi Koizumi) pursues local sustainability and has used the court system in some cases.
• Apr 2, 2026

  United States Space Data Center Startup Starcloud Raised $170 Million Series A Funding at $1.1 Billion Valuation, Founded in 2024 by Philip Johnston, Ezra Feilden & Adi Oltean, Investors Include EQT, Benchmark, Macquarie Capital, NFX, Nebular, Y Combinator, Adjacent, 776 Ventures, Fuse Ventures, Manhattan West & Monolith Power Systems

  Starcloud has raised $170 million Series A at a $1.1 billion valuation.

  • $170 million Series A; $1.1 billion valuation — Starcloud announced a $170 million Series A round at a $1.1 billion valuation, led by investors including EQT, Benchmark, Macquarie Capital, NFX, Nebular, Y Combinator, Adjacent, 776 Ventures, Fuse Ventures, Manhattan West and Monolith Power Systems. The company was founded in 2024 by Philip Johnston, Ezra Feilden & Adi Oltean and is headquartered at 2517 152nd Ave NE, Redmond, WA 98052.
  • Product and timeline details — Starcloud launched its first satellite, Starcloud-1, in November 2025, which featured the first NVIDIA H100 on board (described as ~100x more powerful GPU compute than previous on-orbit systems) and was the first to train an AI model in space. The company states its mission is to build data centers in space to solve the AI energy bottleneck.
• Mar 31, 2026

  Why Seattle’s AI ambitions started with a hypervisor migration

  The City of Seattle migrated 2,500 legacy virtual machines to the Nutanix Cloud Platform and is realizing annual savings of $1.6–$2M while advancing an AI policy and 2025-2026 AI plan.

  • Main action: The City of Seattle executed a hypervisor migration with Nutanix, consolidating 2,500 legacy VMs within one year to reduce server sprawl and achieve $1.6–$2 million annual savings; the initiative followed a seven-month analysis of cloud, hybrid, and platform options and aimed to address a $250 million 2025-2026 budget gap.
  • Background and details: The city adopted a “cloud-smart, not cloud-first” philosophy, emphasized vendor flexibility and recoverability, integrated built-in security (encryption and microsegmentation) via Nutanix, and rolled out an AI policy and 2025-2026 AI plan with about 50 proof-of-concepts (noting ~80% of initial POCs did not produce meaningful outcomes).
• Mar 27, 2026

  Panel Warns Black and Latino Communities Risk Falling Behind in AI Era

  HTTP, LGBT Tech, MMTC, and OCA-APA Advocates hosted the 2026 Tech & Telecom Policy Outlook at CTIA headquarters in Washington on March 26, 2026.

  • Hosted event & core message: The organizers hosted the 2026 Tech & Telecom Policy Outlook to discuss telecom policy and technology equity, emphasizing that broadband access and digital literacy gaps risk leaving Black and Latino communities behind as AI becomes embedded in everyday life. Panelists included Joi Chaney, Daiquiri Ryan Mercado, Danielle Davis Canty, Ajit Pai, and Alejandro Roark; speakers linked AI growth to data center expansion and urged stronger community roles in negotiating local benefits and addressing environmental impacts of infrastructure buildout.
  • Background & key details: Panelists discussed AI, data center development, spectrum policy, broadband affordability, and media consolidation; Alejandro Roark noted Congress’s restoration of FCC spectrum auction authority, Ajit Pai called for more licensed spectrum, and Danielle Davis Canty highlighted consumer concerns of “trust, privacy, as well as cost” including rising energy costs tied to AI systems.
    • Date: March 26, 2026
    • Location: CTIA headquarters, Washington
    • Agenda/Subject: AI and data center development, spectrum policy, broadband affordability, media consolidation, digital equity
• Mar 25, 2026

  Welcome Katie, Anna, and Makhai

  Fresh Energy has announced three new staff and fellows to support its mission to equitably and rapidly decarbonize Minnesota.

  • New hires and roles: Fresh Energy welcomed Katie Maxwell as Associate, Electricity, Anna Edmunds as a Humphrey School fellow (University of Minnesota), and Makhai/Mahkai Hunt as the 2026 Capitol Pathways intern; these individuals will contribute to Minnesota-focused clean electricity, legislative engagement, and equity work. Katie earned an M.E.M. from Duke in 2025 and will work on Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs), data centers, and virtual power plants; Anna is pursuing an MPP at the Humphrey School and will track PUC dockets, energy affordability, and energy burden cap legislation; Makhai is a Macalester College junior and will work with Fresh Energy’s Public Affairs team during the 2026 Capitol Pathways internship.
  • Background and implementation details: The announcement references prior experience and institutional partnerships: Katie’s background includes work with Faith in Place, the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, and Duke’s Nicholas Institute; Anna previously worked at the Wisconsin Public Service Commission and will work alongside Shubha Harris on Minnesota PUC dockets and research including data center impacts on energy and water; Makhai will work with Brynn Kirsling and the ongoing Capitol Pathways program (hosted by Fresh Energy for eight years) to support legislative engagement and representation efforts.
• Mar 24, 2026

  What Is AWS Hybrid Cloud? Tools, Benefits, and Use Cases

  TierPoint promotes AWS hybrid cloud solutions and positions itself as an AWS Advanced Tier Services Partner offering managed hybrid cloud services and secure connectivity.

  • Main announcement/action: TierPoint highlights AWS hybrid-cloud tools and use cases and cites 46% of IT decision-makers describing their primary strategy as “hybrid-by-design”; TierPoint offers AWS Direct Connect from its Seattle data center, managed AWS operations, hybrid architecture design, and hybrid-cloud consulting as an AWS Advanced Tier Services Partner.
  • Background and details: The article describes specific AWS products (e.g., AWS Outposts available as a 42U rack or 1U/2U server, AWS Local Zones, AWS Wavelength, ECS/EKS Anywhere, AWS Storage Gateway, AWS Backup) and cites additional metrics such as 56% of IT decision-makers reporting a shortage of cloud architecture/engineering skills; this is an informational/promotional piece rather than a first-time corporate deal announcement.
• Mar 24, 2026

  Google Has PPAs for Solar Power from Renewable Energy Group

  Sunraycer Renewables announced it has executed long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Google for the Lupinus and Lupinus 2 solar projects in Franklin County, Texas.

  • Main announcement: Sunraycer executed long-term PPAs with Google to support construction and operation of the combined ~400-MWac Lupinus photovoltaic (PV) facility (Lupinus and Lupinus 2); both projects are expected to begin commercial operation in late 2027, and the transaction was facilitated through LevelTen Energy’s Accelerated Process (LEAP).
  • Background and details: Sunraycer is a Crayhill Capital Management portfolio company with a development, construction-stage, and operational pipeline of about 3 GW of solar and battery projects; the projects will operate in the ERCOT market and LevelTen notes it provides access to more than 4,500 PPA price offers across 28 countries, with LEAP taking the RFP to contract execution in under 10 weeks.
• Mar 24, 2026

  The Northwest Hasn’t Learned the Lessons of WPPSS (“Whoops”)

  Laura Feinstein (Sightline Institute) argues that leaders should avoid building new gas-fired power plants in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and instead prioritize data center flexibility, demand response, energy efficiency, and transmission expansion to address near-term resource adequacy concerns.

  • Main action and evidence: The piece urges policymakers and regulators to require utilities and large electricity users to exhaust large-load flexibility and demand-side measures before approving fossil fuel infrastructure; cites a September 2025 E3 Phase 1 analysis that reported an 8.7 GW shortfall by 2030 (commonly rounded to 9 GW), which shrinks to roughly 5.6 GW when already planned resources (e.g., Carriger solar, PacifiCorp conversions) are counted. The article highlights alternatives with concrete figures: a Duke University estimate that 3.8 GW could be gained if data centers reduced power about one week per year, and a Sylvan Energy Analytics review showing data-center curtailment can eliminate the gap in multiple scenarios.
  • Background and concrete details: The article documents utilities’ recent actions and legislative context: PSE has contracted for six new gas turbines (filing redacted), Grant PUD approved a (temporary) 12 MW natural gas plant, PSE’s voluntary demand response currently reduces <2% of peak demand and Washington law requires ramping to 10% savings starting 2027; it notes the U.S. Department of Energy used the E3 report to justify keeping a coal plant online past Dec 31, 2025. The author characterizes the piece as an opinion/analysis urging precaution and policy alternatives rather than announcing a new transaction or partnership.
• Mar 23, 2026

  Environment, climate bills passed and failed in legislative session

  The Washington Legislature passed several climate and energy bills, notably creating a state electrical transmission authority and closing a loophole so independent generators serving data centers must meet clean-energy targets.

  • Main action: The Legislature passed Senate Bill 6355 to create a nine-person state electrical transmission authority (one board seat reserved for a tribal citizen from ceded lands) to construct and manage grid infrastructure, prioritize financing partnerships with utilities and developers, and improve grid reliability; transmission projects may still take a decade or longer due to permitting and bureaucracy.
  • Other enacted and contextual details: Lawmakers passed Senate Bill 5982 to require port utility districts and independent generators feeding data centers to comply with the Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) (clean electricity by 2045); House Bill 2416 directs the Department of Ecology to allocate no-cost carbon allowances to Spokane’s Waste to Energy facility from 2027–2030 (the facility otherwise faced $4 million–$8 million in carbon allowance costs), and bills such as House Bill 2515 (sweeping data center regulations), House Bill 1607 (10-cent bottle/can deposit), and House Bill 1420 (textile producer responsibility) failed to advance this session.