Wyoming Data Center Intel

Recent Wyoming data center news

• Jan 20, 2026

  Fiber Broadband Report Notes Significant Progress on Fiber Deployment, Increased Costs

  The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) released its yearly fiber deployment report showing 60% of U.S. households are serviceable by fiber.

  • Report findings: 84.6m homes now have fiber access (60% of U.S. households), representing an 11% increase from 2024; 16% of households have access to multiple providers; rural locations now have nearly 50% fiber coverage with fastest growth in Arizona, Idaho, Maine, New Mexico, Wyoming (average 39% YoY).
  • Cost and deployment pressures: Growth is largely driven by private investment from ILECs and support from BEAD funding; labor and materials account for 55% of total project expenditures, “make ready” costs increased 150% in some cases shifting projects to aerial builds, and permitting represents ~10% of average project cost and causes delays that “domino effect” other cost components. The report noted no observed cost savings from provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act as previously predicted by FBA leadership.
• Jan 9, 2026

  Trump’s AI push breathes life into an old pollution scourge

  The EPA under Administrator Lee Zeldin plans to loosen enforcement of a 2024 Biden-era coal ash rule, proposing regulatory changes and potentially granting a three-year cleanup extension to 11 power plants for 13 unlined coal ash dumps.

  • Main action: EPA plans to propose amendments to the 2024 coal ash rule and is considering a three-year extension (to Oct. 17, 2031) for a subset of plants; the proposal would apply to 11 plants and 13 unlined ash dumps (each spanning more than 40 acres), and the agency will accept comments through February 6, 2026. The agency says the extension aims to promote grid reliability amid rising demand from AI data centers.
  • Background and details: The 2024 rule had expanded oversight to legacy ash dumps after earlier exemptions; EPA and companies cite implementation challenges. Examples: NIPSCO/Schahfer previously expected to close by 2028 but EPA proposed extension to Oct. 2031; PacifiCorp stopped burning coal on Dec. 31 and will not use the extension (stop disposing ash by Sept. 30); several plants (Naughton, Baldwin) have reported groundwater exceedances of contaminants such as arsenic, lithium, fluoride and radium. EPA has not publicly confirmed compliance status for the 11 plants identified.
• Jan 9, 2026

  Meta Locks In Up to 6.6 GW of Nuclear Power Through Deals With Vistra, Oklo, and TerraPower

  Meta announced agreements with Vistra, Oklo, and TerraPower to secure up to 6.6 GW of nuclear capacity by 2035.

  • Main announcement and deal scope: Meta will underwrite a suite of nuclear deals that collectively target up to 6.6 GW by 2035, including a 20-year PPA with Vistra for 2,176 MW plus 433 MW of uprates (2,609 MW total) that begin deliveries in late 2026 and reach full 2,609 MW by 2034; an Oklo-backed Aurora campus up to 1.2 GW in Pike County, Ohio (pre-construction and site work beginning 2026, first phase online as early as 2030, full 1.2 GW by 2034); and TerraPower funding for two Natrium units (690 MWe) targeted as early as 2032 plus Meta rights to energy from up to six additional Natrium units (2.1 GW) targeted by 2035.
  • Background, implementation details, and context: Meta’s support includes prepayments and long-term PPAs to shift early-stage capital and risk onto Meta to help developers secure fuel, permits, and financing; Vistra’s three plants were acquired as part of a $3.4 billion Energy Harbor transaction (March 2024); PJM capacity prices signaled tight markets (clearing at $269.92/MW-day and hitting the $329/MW-day cap in subsequent auctions), underscoring the near-term need for firm capacity in the PJM region.
• Jan 9, 2026

  Meta Announces 6.6 GW Of Nuclear Energy Projects To Power AI Revolution

  Meta has announced agreements with Vistra, TerraPower and Oklo to secure nuclear power for its Prometheus AI supercluster at a New Albany, Ohio data centre.

  • Main announcement: Meta will secure up to 6.6 GW of power by 2035 from agreements with Vistra, TerraPower and Oklo to support the Prometheus supercluster (expected online sometime in 2026). Vistra signed 20-year power purchase agreements to provide more than 2,600 MW from Beaver Valley, Davis-Besse and Perry; TerraPower deals fund two projects that could begin generating by 2032 with rights to more projects targeted by 2035; Oklo’s advanced nuclear campus in Pike County, Ohio could come online as soon as 2030, and Meta may prepay for power to advance the Aurora powerhouse deployment.
  • Background and related details: Meta previously signed a 20-year deal with Constellation Energy to buy Clinton plant power from 2027; rivals Google, Amazon and Microsoft have also struck nuclear-related deals (Google backing Kairos Power SMRs; Amazon/NextEra support to restart Duane Arnold; Microsoft with Three Mile Island/Crane restart plans).
• Jan 8, 2026

  Wyoming Approves Data Center Campus that Includes 2.7 GW of New Natural Gas-Fired Generation

  Laramie County commissioners unanimously approved Project Jade (an AI data center campus proposed by Crusoe Energy Systems) and the BFC Power and Cheyenne Power Hub (including 2.7 GW of new natural gas-fired generation being developed by Tallgrass Energy).

  • Project approval and scope: The county approved Project Jade on 600 acres (five data center buildings, two support buildings, associated infrastructure) and the BFC Power / Cheyenne Power Hub on 659 acres (two gas-fired power plants). Tallgrass says the energy infrastructure represents a $7-billion investment and Raymon Williams (Tallgrass project director) estimates total campus capex > $50 billion. The development will use a “bring your own power” model, include Bloom Energy fuel cells alongside natural gas generation, and could eventually scale to 10 GW with additional generation resources.
  • Implementation details and timeline: Construction is expected to begin soon, could employ as many as 5,000 workers, and first buildings could be operational by mid-2027. Developers plan deep aquifer wells for drinking-water protection and closed-loop cooling to reduce water consumption. Local concerns (water contamination, landscape impacts) were noted; Wyoming leadership including Gov. Mark Gordon and county officials have publicly supported the projects, citing national-security considerations.
• Jan 2, 2026

  State Broadband Bills of 2025: A Legislative Review

  State legislatures across the United States enacted and considered broadband-related legislation in 2025; fewer than 140 of more than 600 proposed bills became law.

  • Main actions: States enacted laws prioritizing infrastructure and permitting reforms, pole and rights-of-way access, criminal penalties for theft/vandalism, state broadband funding, and data center incentives. Notable enacted measures include Hawaii H 934 (established a state Broadband Office and programs, enacted in June and backed by $400 million in combined funding), West Virginia SB 907 (expanded the Economic Development Project Fund to allow up to $25 million annually for broadband incentives and up to $125 million annually for broadband loan insurance) and West Virginia HB 2014 (signed in April; created microgrid districts with zoning/permitting exemptions and special property tax treatment for qualifying projects).
  • Additional details and timelines: States also raised criminal penalties (e.g., Oklahoma classified willful damage to a critical infrastructure facility as a Class D3 felony with fines up to $100,000 and prison up to 10 years; Louisiana authorized fines up to $50,000 and prison up to 20 years; California AB 476 increased penalties for knowingly buying illegally obtained scrap metal to $5,000). Other enacted programs include California SB 338 (a $2 million telehealth pilot), New Mexico SB 126 (Rural USF increased from $30 million to $40 million), and Oregon’s device support up to $100 in Lifeline-related assistance. At least 37 states passed data center incentives in 2025 and over 1,000 AI-focused bills were introduced nationwide, with ~38 states adopting or enacting roughly 100 AI measures in 2025.
• Dec 19, 2025

  US Expected To Install Over 7 GW of Wind Capacity In 2025, 36% More Than 2024

  Wood Mackenzie and the American Clean Power Association released a report projecting the U.S. will add more than 7 GW of wind capacity in 2025 (a 36% increase from 2024) and remain on track to install 46 GW between 2025–2029.

  • Main announcement: The report forecasts >7 GW of U.S. wind capacity additions in 2025 and an unchanged five-year outlook of 46 GW (2025–2029); capacity additions are expected to peak at 10.7 GW in 2026 and 12.7 GW in 2027, with 3.8 GW queued for Q4 2025 and Q3 2025 installations at 932 MW. It highlights major onshore projects including Pattern Energy’s 3.5-GW SunZia and Invenergy’s 998-MW Towner Energy Center, and notes Vineyard Wind connected 15 turbines and delivered about 200 GWh in the first nine months of the year.
  • Background and details: The report cites utilities committing ~160 GW of large-load additions and expects peak demand growth averaging ~3% through 2029, with data centres accounting for roughly 59 GW of the projected 90 GW peak-demand increase. It flags risks from elevated turbine costs, tariffs, permitting delays, and expects U.S. onshore wind capex to rise ~5% through 2029; repowering activity is expected to add about 2.5 GW across 18 projects in the next three years.
• Dec 18, 2025

  Advanced Nuclear Developers Raise New Capital as 2025 Investment Hits Record Levels and Demonstrations Near

  Radiant, Last Energy, and ARC Clean Technology announced the closing of major private funding rounds in mid-December 2025 to accelerate demonstration, factory-built manufacturing, and regulatory pathways for microreactors and SMRs in North America and the UK.

  • Fundraises & near-term uses: Radiant raised more than $300 million (Series D) on Dec. 17, 2025 to scale commercialization, break ground on the R-50 factory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee (construction slated early 2026) and test its Kaleidos microreactor at Idaho National Laboratory (DOME) in 2026 with initial deployments targeted in 2028; Last Energy closed an oversubscribed Series C of more than $100 million (Dec. 16, 2025) to fund its PWR-5 pilot at Texas A&M–RELLIS (DOE Reactor Pilot Program, target criticality 2026) and parallel UK licensing for PWR-20 commercial units (site-licensing target Dec. 2027); ARC closed a Series B (Dec. 16, 2025) to advance the 100-MWe ARC-100 deployment, DOE programs, Canadian project development, and KHNP collaboration.

  • Background, partners, and milestones: The rounds include strategic and VC investors (e.g., Draper Associates, Boost VC, Founders Fund, Astera Institute) and advisers (Orrick); Radiant announced customer commitments including Equinix (20 Kaleidos units) and DoD agreements (Defense Innovation Unit/Department of the Air Force), plus HALEU fuel commitments with the U.S. DOE and a commercial enrichment contract with Urenco; ARC completed Phase 2 of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission Vendor Design Review (July 2025) and formed NuARC with Nucleon Energy for Alberta deployments; multiple sector comparables cited include TerraPower ($650M Series C) and X-energy ($700M Series C-1) earlier in 2025.

• Dec 17, 2025

  The Environmental Impact of AI and Bitcoin Mining

  The ISNA Green Initiative Team has published an analysis on the environmental impacts of AI and Bitcoin mining, highlighting energy, water, and emissions pressures imposed by data centers and crypto operations.

  • Main announcement/action: The article documents that rapid AI expansion and cryptocurrency mining are driving large electricity and water consumption, stressing grids and increasing emissions; it cites corporate capital plans (Amazon $100 billion, Microsoft $30 billion, Google $10 billion) and projects from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimating data centers could account for 6.7%–12% of U.S. electricity use by 2028.
  • Background and supporting details: The piece references Reporting by Reuters and Newsweek, states data centers may use up to 5 million gallons of water daily, cites Monitoring Analytics attributing 70% ($9.3 billion) of a 2024 electricity cost increase in the Mid-Atlantic to data centers, and notes EIA preliminary estimates that U.S. cryptocurrency mining represents 0.6%–2.3% of U.S. electricity consumption; it also lists UNEP recommendations for standardized impact measurement and disclosure.
• Dec 10, 2025

  Wind and solar power frozen out of Trump permitting push

  The Trump administration has frozen approvals for major onshore wind and solar projects, requiring Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to personally sign off on new renewable decisions and effectively stalling new permits since July.

  • Main action: The Interior Department’s policy mandates personal sign-off by Secretary Doug Burgum, resulting in only one solar project approved on federal lands since January and no permits since July; Wood Mackenzie identified 18 gigawatts of solar projects on federal lands that were canceled or inactive this year, and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) estimates more than 500 solar and storage projects are threatened.
  • Background and concrete details: The Bureau of Land Management canceled the environmental review for Esmeralda 7 (seven solar farms across 62,000 acres); Boulder City currently receives $21 million/year from leases and could gain $3 million/year from two projects now stalled; agencies including the Army Corps and US Fish and Wildlife Service have tightened reviews (Army Corps prioritizing projects by energy-per-acre, and Fish and Wildlife restricting access to a planning tool for solar and wind).