Data Centre Watch

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21 entries matching · showing 1–15

1. 21 Oct 2026 World United States Policy

   Trump tells data centres to make their own power and pay a 'dividend'

   In a Truth Social post on 21 October, Trump said new and very large data centres should be required to produce their own electricity and supply or sell surplus to local communities or the grid, so they don't push up household bills. He also urged developers to pay a 'dividend' to the community or to individuals living nearby: 'Data Centers that were highly unpopular in a certain area, have become extremely popular when a financial deal is struck. MAKE DEALS, and get them built!!!'

   Why it matters: The 'own your power, pay your neighbours' formula now coming from the White House — and it treats consent as a price, not a process.

   Source: Economic Times / Times of India (Reuters) [C]

2. 7 Oct 2026 Updated 21 Oct World Tennessee, US Policy

   Memphis council rejects a long data-centre moratorium

   Memphis City Council first voted 7–5 to postpone a year-long moratorium on new data centres (Ordinance 5982) to its 20 October meeting, after a packed, protest-disrupted session; the city already hosts xAI's 'Colossus'. On 20 October it rejected the long pause on a tied vote and passed a shorter, amended moratorium instead. The fight has centred on Elon Musk's expansion — he now says he is staying in Memphis 'night and day' to guide the build-out.

   Why it matters: The US version of the local revolt: a city with a hyperscaler already running, asked by neighbours to stop the next one.

   Source: DCD [C]

   Changes (2)

   1. 21 Oct 2026 — Added the 20 Oct outcome: the long moratorium was rejected on a tied vote and a shorter amended pause passed instead; noted the xAI/Musk context.
   2. 7 Oct 2026 — First filed.
3. 19 Oct 2026 World Global Policy

   Anthropic disowns NDAs and local tax breaks

   Anthropic says it will not ask public officials to sign non-disclosure agreements or accept local tax incentives at future data-centre sites, worldwide and whether owned or leased. It follows similar commitments from Microsoft to end local-government NDAs and stop seeking local tax breaks — the two biggest backers in the AI build-out publicly disowning the secrecy-and-subsidy playbook that has fuelled local rows.

   Why it matters: The ground is shifting: 'we won't hide it and we won't take your tax base' is becoming a competitive claim, not a concession.

   Source: Certified Strategic [C]

4. 15 Oct 2026 Updated 19 Oct World United States Policy

   A sweep of US cities and counties moves against data centres

   In one week: Milwaukee's Common Council passed a one-year moratorium (and is weighing size caps); Denver began a working group after its one-year pause; Stephens County, Georgia extended its land-use moratorium to January 2027; Fort Wayne, Indiana rejected one; Denton, Texas voted 4-0 to make every new data centre get a council permit (limited to industrial/public zoning); Taylor, Texas approved a 664-acre campus with its own gas plant (5-0); Van Buren Township, Michigan gave Google's $2bn 'Project Cannoli' campus final site-plan approval (5-1) after months of opposition; and Lowndes County, Alabama approved a 20-year, $1.15bn tax break for Cloverleaf's Project Red Clay over opposition. San Francisco and Oakland passed 45-day pauses, Memphis postponed its moratorium vote to 20 October, and Shelby County's commission advanced one at first reading. Nationally, the datacenterbans.com tracker counts 20 active bans or moratoriums and 27 of 50 states restricting or considering restrictions, with further final votes due on 20 October (Memphis, Hillsboro, Bethlehem and Volusia County).

   Why it matters: The US version of the planning rowlands — dozens of separate local decisions, each writing its own rules.

   Source: Data Centers Daily Notes / local reporting [C]

   Changes (2)

   1. 19 Oct 2026 — Added the national picture from datacenterbans.com: 20 active bans/moratoriums; 27 of 50 states restricting or considering restrictions; final votes due 20 Oct (Memphis, Hillsboro, Bethlehem, Volusia County).
   2. 15 Oct 2026 — First filed.
5. 18 Oct 2026 World European Union Policy

   EU opens a €30bn tender for AI gigafactories

   The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking has opened the EU's AI Gigafactories call: up to seven sites across at least seven member states, each reaching 120MW (medium) or 150MW (large) of IT load in phase two — at least ~930MW if all are awarded. It envisages up to €10bn of EU and national money plus at least €20bn of private capital, but only €1bn of the EU's share is legally committed (the rest depends on the 2028–2035 budget). Bids close 12 November 2026; awards are expected in early 2027 and first operations by mid-2028.

   Why it matters: Europe trying to buy sovereign AI capacity at gigawatt scale — with most of the money not yet committed.

   Source: DC Market Insights [C]

6. 15 Oct 2026 World Virginia, US Policy

   Virginia bill would pause new data centres for three years

   Virginia state senator Russet Perry has prefiled SB843, a three-year statewide moratorium on new data centres in the world's largest data-centre market. Effective 1 July 2027 and sunsetting 2030, it would block local approvals (rezoning, special exceptions, permits, site plans) and bar state agencies — including the Department of Environmental Quality and the State Corporation Commission — from permitting data-centre development or its power infrastructure.

   Why it matters: Even the industry's capital is now debating a pause — the local-revolt question reaching a state legislature.

   Source: DCD / Loudoun Now [C]

7. 15 Oct 2026 World Malaysia Policy

   Malaysia to charge data centres for power they reserve but don't use

   Malaysia's trade minister told parliament that data-centre operators will pay for committed-but-unused electricity capacity — 'request 200MW, use 100, we charge you for the other 100' — and that data-centre load is being separated from the supply serving households. It has 57 operational centres using 6,237MW, with 60 more (11,172MW) in the pipeline; operators must use water-recycling cooling.

   Why it matters: The speculative-load problem, handled by billing for reserved capacity — the same question the UK's Ofgem is wrestling with.

   Source: The Star [C]

8. 15 Oct 2026 World Northern Territory, Australia Policy

   Northern Territory Labor flips to back a hyperscale data-centre moratorium

   The NT opposition, having said a moratorium was unnecessary in August, now supports pausing 'hyper-scale' data centres until 1 July ahead of a review — after the territory's EPA recorded 'low confidence' in the environmental planning for an outback hyper-scale scheme an independent MLA tried to halt outright (two petitions, 15,000 signatures). The CLP government stripped the moratorium and review from the motion, citing national standards.

   Why it matters: The local-revolt argument reaching a territory courting 12 data-centre projects — with the regulator's own 'low confidence' as the trigger.

   Source: ABC News [C]

9. 14 Oct 2026 World Texas, US Policy

   Texas freezes data-centre permits for a state-wide audit

   Governor Greg Abbott's state-wide audit of data centres has frozen new TCEQ environmental permits and paused ERCOT's 'Batch Zero' interconnection approvals, with the review due to conclude by 10 December 2026. It covers water sourcing, reliance on grid power versus self-generation, use of financial assistance, and community-impact mitigation (noise, light). Fitch says rated Texas projects are largely insulated — but credit risk rises if the freeze extends and delays rent commencement.

   Why it matters: A US state pausing permissions to count what it is actually approving — the audit-as-brake move the UK keeps flirting with.

   Source: Fitch Ratings [C]

10. 14 Oct 2026 World Israel 200 MW Policy

    Israel moves to cap new data centres at 200MW

    Israel's Electricity Authority is preparing rules to limit any new data centre to 200MW, with a draft out for consultation this week. Developers have requested around 27,000MW of grid connections against 18,800MW of installed generation, and the authority projects data centres could reach about 20% of national electricity consumption by 2030.

    Why it matters: A small grid doing the arithmetic first — capping the size of the load to protect the system.

    Source: Calcalist / Ctech [C]

11. 13 Oct 2026 Updated 14 Oct World United States Policy

    FERC approves a PJM data-centre database — but rejects its whole framework

    FERC approved PJM's plan to build a data-centre database across its footprint — location, power provider, in-service date, load ramp-up and backup generation/fuel — to sharpen grid planning. But it rejected most of PJM's wider framework, including its bring-your-own-capacity and curtailment provisions, as exceeding the grid operator's authority and discriminating against large loads. Within days, PJM issued a maximum-generation alert as warm weather strained the system, and the DOE authorised emergency measures; PJM-area power prices are set to rise more than 60%.

    Why it matters: A grid operator wants the data before it plans — but the regulator won't let it switch the load off or force it to build its own power.

    Source: Bisnow / DCD [C]

    Changes (2)

    1. 14 Oct 2026 — Broadened: FERC rejected most of PJM's framework (its bring-your-own-capacity and curtailment provisions) as exceeding its authority; added PJM's Monday maximum-generation alert, DOE emergency measures, and the >60% price rise.
    2. 13 Oct 2026 — First filed.
12. 14 Oct 2026 World Ohio, US 10000 MW Policy

    PJM to study SoftBank's ~10GW Ohio 'Flagship' under a state agreement approach

    PJM has filed a study agreement at FERC to assess SoftBank's ~10GW 'Flagship' AI data-centre complex on federal land in Ohio under a 'state agreement approach' — roughly 9.6GW of new load plus 10.2GW of gas generation built in phases to 2032, with three 765kV transmission lines by AEP Ohio. An initial 800MW phase is served under AEP Ohio's data-centre tariff.

    Why it matters: Gigawatt load and gigawatt gas, studied together as one transmission project — the grid's new unit of account.

    Source: Utility Dive [C]

13. 14 Oct 2026 World Oregon, US Policy

    Oregon pauses environmental permits for new data centres

    Governor Tina Kotek ordered the state's environmental regulator to stop approving new air- and water-pollution permits for data centres until next July — an effective moratorium on new builds and expansions, following a year-long pause on state land. It could hit Amazon's proposed Boardman hyperscale site; Amazon calls the move abrupt and says it will cost thousands of jobs.

    Why it matters: A US state braking the build-out through pollution permits, not planning — the same lever the UK debate keeps reaching for.

    Source: KOIN / Oregon Capital Chronicle [C]

14. 12 Oct 2026 Updated 13 Oct World Thailand Policy

    Thailand approves 750bn baht of data centres — and tightens screening

    Thailand's Board of Investment has approved 42 data-centre projects worth 750bn baht (2024–26) under a new four-pillar screening framework covering national benefit, energy security, water and environment; Gulf Development separately plans $4.3bn to reach 2GW, with Microsoft, Google Cloud and Singtel. It has now paused approvals on 166 projects pending the new standards, against a US$15.9bn investment boom, with US$3.1bn of further projects just approved. Google has confirmed a $1bn data centre at Chonburi plus a Bangkok cloud region (projected ~14,000 jobs a year to 2029), and Microsoft has opened its first Thai regional data centre.

    Why it matters: Countries are racing for the investment and, at the same time, writing the rules to manage its power and water.

    Source: Thai Times [C]

    Changes (2)

    1. 13 Oct 2026 — Added the pause on approvals for 166 projects, the US$15.9bn boom, US$3.1bn of further approvals, and the Google/Microsoft commitments.
    2. 12 Oct 2026 — First filed.
15. 12 Oct 2026 World United States Policy

    Big Tech promises its AI data centres will ride out grid faults

    Google, Meta, Microsoft and Nvidia published a grid-interface specification through the Open Compute Project: during a voltage dip a site's compute load (about 70–90% of its draw) must stay connected and climb back to 90% within two seconds, rather than dropping off and shocking the grid. It follows events in which 1,500MW and more shed in an instant (2024, and a larger one on 22 July 2026). Cooling is excluded and the commitments are voluntary.

    Why it matters: AI data centres are now big enough to destabilise the grid everyone shares — and the industry is writing its own rules before regulators do.

    Source: madrobot / OCP [C]