Data Center

Piketon datacenter promises to generate thousands of jobs, but environmental groups voice concern over projectOn a winding road tucked away behind forests in the Appalachian foothills of southern Ohio is where OpenAI, Nvidia and Japanese investors are set to spend $500bn on one of the largest artificial intelligence datacenters on the planet.Last March, the energy secretary, Chris Wright, the commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick and a host of Japanese and other dignitaries briefly descended on Piketon to enthusiastically break ground on a project to build 8GW worth of AI computing power. Continue reading...

Exposure to two compounds approved can result in ‘sudden death’ and range of other serious health risks, lawsuit warnsThe Trump administration has approved two new datacenter chemicals to which exposure can result in “sudden death” and a range of other serious health risks, like cancer, eye corrosion, neurological damage and reproductive harm, a new lawsuit warns.The two compounds approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for import and immediate use in facilities across the US are photoacid generators that also appear to be Pfas “forever chemicals”, though it is unclear because much of the EPA documents are redacted. Some Pfas are commonly used in the production of semiconductors. Continue reading...

• Southeast Asia's data center investment is projected to grow from $15.72 billion in 2025 to $35.08 billion by 2031, according to a report by Arizton. • The market is expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.32%, supported by 306 currently operational facilities across nine countries. • This growth is driven by increasing digital infrastructure needs, with an additional 173 data centers already in the development pipeline.

The Republican Senate candidate announced the plan with a graphic X flagged as ‘Made with AI’US politics live – latest updatesKen Paxton, a Republican candidate for the US Senate in Texas, has unveiled plans to tackle the “negative impact” of datacenters amid a growing backlash across the political spectrum.Paxton, endorsed by Donald Trump but facing a close contest against Democrat James Talarico, posted a “Texas first” datacenter plan on X with a graphic that the social media network flagged as “Made with AI”. Continue reading...

Trump administration proposes new rule to dismantle requirement for datacenters to publicly report air pollutionA new rule proposed by the Trump administration aims to kill public notification for datacenter air pollution, public health advocates warn, and allow emission permits to be issued behind closed doors.The datacenters are often sources of nitrogen oxide, which helps form ozone, carbon monoxide and heavy metals, among other pollutants. Continue reading...

• The United States now dominates the global hyperscale landscape, hosting 15 of the world's 20 largest AI data center markets. • Expansion is shifting away from traditional technology hubs as states like Texas aggressively compete to attract new infrastructure investments. • This growth reflects the massive computational demands of generative AI, positioning the U.S. as the primary engine for AI infrastructure development.

• California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated in a CNBC interview on Thursday that any settlement regarding the Paramount merger would require "robust structural remedies." • Bonta is leading a coalition of 12 states challenging the merger on antitrust grounds to prevent unfair market consolidation. • The Attorney General criticized Paramount, claiming the company is focusing on discussions that are not central to the core antitrust lawsuit.

• The rapid growth of AI is reshaping the European data center landscape, driving a shift in where infrastructure is developed. • New hyperscale projects are increasingly being constructed outside of traditional data center hotspots to accommodate expanding capacity needs. • This trend matters as it decentralizes digital infrastructure, potentially reducing pressure on power grids and land availability in saturated urban hubs.

Plans for hyperscale datacenter in Palm Beach county prompt concerns over water and electricity demandsAbout 16 miles (26km) south-west of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Largo estate, near the northern edge of the Florida Everglades, developers have proposed a hyperscale datacenter on a 202-acre (82-hectare) parcel of land surrounded by water. Local environmentalists warn that the proposed 600MW datacenter in western Palm Beach county could damage the wetlands, which the federal government and the state of Florida have spent a combined $6bn to restore after decades of drainage and development.One concern is that the datacenter could exacerbate an existing issue of toxic bacterial blooms in a water system which has already been stressed by drought, fertilizer runoff and warm water temperatures. In recent summers, the bright blooms of blue-green algae have covered nearly half of Lake Okeechobee, which feeds into the Everglades. Continue reading...

• ABI Research forecasts that the number of global data center facilities will grow from 8,821 in 2026 to over 12,000 by 2035. • The Asia-Pacific region is expected to lead growth with a 2.9% CAGR, fueled by hyperscaler investments and digitalization in India, China, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia. • Latin America and the Middle East and Africa are projected to develop more gradually, with each region reaching approximately 700 facilities by 2035.

• President Trump and his top aides remain bullish on the expansion of data centers despite growing national blowback and voter anxiety regarding the facilities. • In a shift from a previously hands-off approach, the White House recently prepared a plan to monitor specific AI models to prevent the creation of security vulnerabilities. • The new monitoring framework was developed in coordination with major industry leaders, including Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI.

Trump’s FCC is developing a measure to bar US imports of new models of Chinese datacenter devices, sources sayThe Trump administration is reportedly drafting a ban on US imports of new models of Chinese datacenter components, in the latest sign US authorities are scrambling to respond to the rapid development of AI technology in China.Four people familiar with the matter told Reuters that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which oversees the US ⁠telecommunications industry, is developing a measure to bar imports of new ​Chinese optical transceivers, which allow data to travel over fiber-optic cables at the speed of light within datacenters. Officials hope to publish the measure this year, according to Reuters. Continue reading...

• Iran is targeting AI data centers as part of a strategy to counter military strength by inflicting significant economic damage. • These facilities are critical to the US military and AI industries, as well as Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which aim to become a global AI hub. • Key investments are at risk, including Saudi Arabia's use of its $1 trillion sovereign wealth fund and the UAE's $500 billion "Stargate" project.

• The European Union announced plans on Thursday to fund the construction of seven multibillion-euro computing hubs designed to train AI models within Europe. • The initiative involves a €30 billion investment, with Germany, Greece, Portugal, Italy, and Spain backing the development of the largest hubs. • This push aims to reduce Europe's reliance on foreign AI infrastructure and bolster the region's sovereign computing capabilities.

• The European Union announced plans on Thursday to invest €30 billion into the construction of seven massive computing hubs designed to train AI models. • Germany, Greece, Portugal, Italy, and Spain are leading the effort to back and develop these multi-billion-euro data centers. • This initiative aims to bolster Europe's technological sovereignty and capacity to compete with global AI leaders by providing the necessary infrastructure for large-scale model training.

• The European Union has announced a €10 billion public funding initiative to support the construction of up to seven new artificial intelligence data centers across Europe. • The program invites companies to apply for funding to build the infrastructure, aiming to strengthen the bloc's internal technological capabilities. • This move is a strategic effort to reduce the EU's heavy reliance on overseas technology and foreign cloud providers, particularly those from the U.S. and China.

Coalition says Chemours downplayed health and climate risks in bid to fast-track the compound’s useA coalition of 17 environmental groups is demanding the Environmental Protection Agency reject a new Pfas that chemical giant Chemours is attempting to fast track for approval for use in cooling datacenters, and would almost certainly pollute regions around the facilities.In formal comments submitted to the agency, the groups accuse Chemours of using bad science to downplay the chemical’s toxicity and climate risks. Approving Chemours’ application as it is would violate the law, the Earthjustice legal non-profit, a lead author of the comments, wrote. Continue reading...

• Non-profits including Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (Peer), Earthjustice, and DarkSky International have filed a US petition demanding a formal review of proposed space-based datacenters. • The petition targets plans from tech companies, specifically those associated with Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, citing fears of severe environmental destruction. • Experts warn that these orbital facilities could be "catastrophic" for the planet, specifically highlighting risks of increased light pollution and atmospheric damage.

‘Ratepayer Protection Pledge’ president has touted is non-binding as people continue to struggle with rising billsDonald Trump has announced that some 200 entities have signed onto his non-binding “Ratepayer Protection Pledge,” expanding a voluntary commitment which claims to ensure US consumers will not bear the cost of the AI datacenter build-out.Trump delivered remarks on Thursday at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters, alongside Lee Zeldin, the agency’s administrator, and Chris Wright, the energy secretary. Other attendees included governors who signed onto the pledge, including Brian Kemp of Georgia, Mike DeWine of Ohio, Spencer Cox of Utah and Jeff Landry of Louisiana. Continue reading...

• Microsoft announced on Tuesday a multibillion-dollar deal to fund European data centers for the French AI startup Mistral. • The partnership integrates Mistral's AI models more deeply into Microsoft's ecosystem, specifically through the Microsoft Foundry application-development platform. • Two specific models, Medium 3.5 and OCR 4, are now available in Microsoft Foundry, with Medium 3.5 also launching in Copilot Studio.

• A recent POLITICO Poll reveals that American attitudes toward data centers have become increasingly negative and politically polarized over the last six months. • Governor Kathy Hochul has implemented the first statewide moratorium on new data center projects to address critical infrastructure concerns. • The pause is intended to allow policymakers to evaluate the impact of these facilities on rising energy costs and excessive water consumption.

• Republican congressman and Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds announced legislation on Monday aimed at preventing AI data centers from increasing utility costs for the public. • The proposal would mandate that data centers source all of their electricity and water needs from private providers rather than relying on public water systems or the power grid. • This move reflects a growing political backlash against the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure and its potential strain on shared public resources.

Demonstrations planned across the US this weekend will focus on three issues likely to define the midterm electionsThousands of Americans are expected to take to the streets this weekend in mass protests around issues likely to define the midterm elections: widespread violence from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, voter suppression and datacenter construction.The protests – some recently planned in response to last week’s ICE shootings, others an annual event with new urgency – will take place not just in big cities and progressive towns, but also in rural and red areas. Continue reading...

• Major technology firms, including Oracle, are increasingly turning to the bond market to secure the massive funding required to build AI data centers. • S&P Global downgraded Oracle's debt on July 9, noting that the company's financial health has been deteriorating. • This downgrade leaves Oracle's debt just one notch above "junk bond" status, signaling a significant increase in financial risk.

• Arizton research indicates the Europe data center colocation market is projected to grow from USD 11.65 billion in 2025 to USD 46.51 billion by 2031. • The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 25.94%, with Western Europe dominating the investment landscape at USD 33.17 billion (71.3% of the total). • Growth is primarily driven by the rising infrastructure demands of AI and cloud workloads, alongside 5G deployment and digitalization efforts.

AI-friendly president shared a post saying governor Kathy Hochul should scrap the one-year policy ‘IMMEDIATELY’Donald Trump railed against the New York governor, Kathy Hochul, for pausing the construction of large new datacenters, the resource-intensive facilities that power artificial intelligence.New York became the first US state to enact a moratorium on new datacenters on Tuesday, when Hochul signed an executive order mandating a one-year statewide pause on so-called “hyperscale” datacenters. Continue reading...

Polls suggest many Democratic voters oppose the projects as party leaders champion AI investmentSarah Brabbs used to be a fan of Michigan’s Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer.“I have her book; I appreciated her stewardship and guidance during the pandemic,” Brabbs, who has voted Democrat for basically her entire life, says. “I will never not appreciate who she was during that time.” Continue reading...

• DataM Intelligence has released a research report forecasting that the United States network security market will grow to US$ 121.16 billion by 2035. • North America is projected to hold a dominant 41.6% market share by 2025, with significant activity across data center, enterprise, and telecom networks. • The report highlights key growth drivers, competitive dynamics, and CAGR forecasts to help stakeholders understand regional opportunities and revenue performance.