Data Centers

PPL Corp. and investment giant Blackstone Infrastructure have formed a joint venture to build, own, and operate natural gas combined-cycle generation plants in Pennsylvania specifically designed to serve data center loads through long-term energy service agreements (ESAs). The partnership, unveiled at the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit in Pittsburgh on July 15, represents a strategic […]

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) has approved a landmark tariff structure requiring large new data center customers to pay for a minimum of 85% of their subscribed electricity usage—regardless of actual consumption—for up to 12 years. The measure marks a pivotal step in Ohio’s efforts to address surging demand from hyperscale data centers […]

The U.S. power sector seems to be increasingly pulled in two directions. While trundling toward rapid electrification, it is seeking to hold its ground on recent decarbonization triumphs. And while utilities and power companies are racing to add generation capacity, their prospects are limited by aging infrastructure and upended by supply chain constraints that have […]

The U.S. is bracing for a reality where artificial intelligence and data centers overwhelm the power grid, and rightfully so, as America seeks to lead the global AI race. But this push is coming at the same time that the federal government is reshuffling fiscal priorities and prioritizing energy independence. While that dynamic may seem like a challenging juxtaposition, one thing is clear: regardless of political affiliation or preferred priority, if the U.S. wants to lead the world in AI, it must power it first.

The U.S. electric power sector is experiencing a surge in renewable energy deployment, yet the grid faces mounting pressure from skyrocketing demand and shifting federal policies. As data centers and

As billions of dollars flood into the historically niche electricity sector, U.S. power generation is having a moment and entering what may be its most consequential investment cycle in decades. The U.S. power space saw record levels of capital investments in 2024. These billions in new investments are coming not just from legacy participants, but […]

Artificial intelligence is evolving rapidly, and so is the demand for the infrastructure behind it. From the explosive growth of generative models to the rise of AI-driven data analytics, companies are scaling up data centers at an unprecedented pace. But for the sustainably-conscious, this rapid growth sparks a real “down the rabbit hole” question, “what […]

As artificial intelligence (AI) usage and sophistication grows, questions about the sustainability of the traditional model of utilizing huge, centralized data centers are frequently raised. Hyperscale data centers handle most AI workloads today, but they come with high energy demands and environmental costs.

Talen Energy has restructured and significantly expanded its nuclear energy agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS), finalizing a 17-year, $18 billion power purchase agreement (PPA) that will supply up to 1,920 MW of carbon-free electricity from the 2.5-GW Susquehanna nuclear plant to Amazon’s data centers across Pennsylvania. The deal, announced on June 11, restructures a […]

U.S. power infrastructure—the intricate physical fabric that laces together generation, transmission, and distribution—is under intensifying strain. Outdated and overextended, it must now absorb relentless growth from electrification and data centers or risk escalating reliability threats, surging costs, and a weakened global competitive edge. POWER examines the dysfunction and what it will actually take to future-proof […]

Applied Digital, a builder and operator of next-generation data centers, has launched an infrastructure partnership with ABB at the company’s Greenfield 400-MW campus in North Dakota. TRhe collaboration will innovate fast, reliable, energy-efficient solutions to meet the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI).

Microgrids have grown in importance as the need for a reliable and resilient supply of power has grown. The technology has proven itself for a variety of commercial and industrial (C&I) enterprises, in both urban and rural areas where a source of off-grid—or in some cases grid-connected—energy is needed, whether a backup power or as a primary source of electricity.

National Grid in the UK has begun construction of a new Uxbridge Moor substation complex in Buckinghamshire, a project designed to connect more than one dozen new data centers to the electricity provider’s network.

Rolls-Royce said it will more than double its production of backup power generation systems for data
centers, and build a new facility in Minnesota, as part of a $24-million investment in U.S. manufacturing.

A startup company led by former executives with major technology and energy groups is betting on the use of natural gas and battery energy storage to provide data centers with on-site power, freeing those sites from reliance on the traditional power grid.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Smart Wires have announced a project to enhance grid reliability and meet energy commitments for data centers connecting in San Jose, California. North Carolina-based Smart Wires will deploy its advanced power flow control (APFC) technology to help PG&E mitigate thermal overloads, redirect power flow, and increase available capacity at its Los Esteros electric substation.

Microgrids have proven their role in enhancing the reliability, resilience, and sustainability of the modern power system. Kirk Edelman, CEO of SolMicroGrid, provided POWER with several lists detailing the technologies behind microgrids, the companies that can benefit from deployment, and the services the systems can provide for their end-users.

The deciding factor in the artificial intelligence (AI) race may come down to our ability to provide new data centers what they need most: massive amounts of constantly available electricity. In the U.S., data centers and their need to accommodate AI account for about half the projected growth of electricity demand through 2030. But the […]

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on May 7 told lawmakers that the Department of Energy (DOE) is entering what he called “a golden era of American energy dominance,” outlining the Trump administration’s strategy to prioritize fossil fuels, nuclear power, grid modernization, and permitting reform, while positioning the U.S. to lead in artificial intelligence (AI) […]

While Alberta’s historical energy legacy has been defined by coal and crude oil, the Canadian province has embraced renewables and carbon capture over the past two decades, and is now exploring small modular

Aggreko said it has launched a 500-kW liquid-cooled resistive load bank, purpose-built for liquid-to-liquid data center commissioning and testing for North American customers. The energy solutions group said the load bank enables the testing of data center liquid cooling systems to ensure they will keep server racks within their optimal operating parameters, a key part […]

The U.S. power sector stands at a juncture, facing a confluence of factors that are poised to trigger an era of unprecedented growth and necessitate a large influx of capital. Driven by the increasing demand from data centers, the reshoring of manufacturing, and electrification across transportation, heating, and industry, the demand for electricity is rising at a pace unseen in recent decades.

Duke Energy has signed a sweeping partnership with GE Vernova for the supply of advanced gas turbines and associated equipment—potentially securing up to 11 of GE Vernova’s flagship 7HA units to advance specific projects in line with the utility’s integrated resource plans (IRPs). Duke Energy on April 24 said the “arrangement” would help the company […]

Today’s data centers, the workhorses of our digital economy, face a paradox. While they are asked to fuel the rapid advancement of generative AI, they must do so under increasingly tight energy budgets, with sustainability mandates and power constraints threatening to slow innovation. The question isn’t whether AI will transform industries—it already is—but whether our infrastructure can keep up without buckling under the weight of AI’s energy appetite.

As the artificial intelligence (AI) boom drives exponential demand for data centers, the United States’ position as an AI leader is at risk without immediate action to address growth constraints.

Seven major U.S. grid operators have raised a unified alarm about an impending capacity crunch, warning that the pace and scale of explosive demand—including from data centers, manufacturing, and electrification—pose a precarious misalignment with accelerating generator retirements and transmission constraints. At a March 25 hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy, the […]

Data centers serve as the silent backbone of our daily lives, the epicenter of digital communication, corporate data, and countless innovations including artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and the

Recognizing their desirable attributes and long-term potential to meet data center demands for power, several technology companies have announced their intention to team up with nuclear developers. At the same time, three companies with shuttered nuclear plants have notified the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission of their plans to restart those facilities, which were closed for economic reasons.

An Ohio town known as a hub for the burgeoning data center industry may soon have one or more new natural gas-fired power plants to support the area’s need for energy.

The current fleet of nuclear reactors are based in huge imposing facilities generally located in isolated locations away from population centers.  This need not be the case. In the near future nuclear reactors will be regarded as portable, modular sources of safe and clean energy. Rather than being located in remote facilities hundreds of miles […]