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Key developments
Oracle backlog surges on AI demand
Oracle said fiscal fourth-quarter 2026 revenue rose 21% year over year to $19.2 billion, and its contracted future revenue backlog hit a record $638 billion. Cloud infrastructure revenue jumped 93% to $5.8 billion, management reaffirmed fiscal 2027 revenue guidance of $90 billion, and CEO Clay Magouyrk said Oracle plans to bring nearly a gigawatt of computing capacity online this quarter. Oracle also reported $55.7 billion in fiscal 2026 capex and negative $23.7 billion free cash flow, underscoring the financing burden behind its AI data-center expansion.
Why it matters
It shows how AI demand is translating into unusually large, capital-intensive data-center buildouts and funding needs at one of the sector's biggest cloud suppliers.
Sources & driving stories
FOOL · Daniel Sparks
Fool coverageOpenAI eyes $500B Ohio data center
The Columbus Dispatch reported that OpenAI is in talks to lease a proposed 10-gigawatt data-center campus on federal land in southern Ohio. The project could cost at least $500 billion to build, with SB Energy developing the site and Nvidia expected to supply hardware and provide financing support. OpenAI would control the equipment under a 20-year lease, and the first phase is expected in 2028.
Why it matters
It points to one of the largest proposed AI data-center campuses yet, with major implications for power, financing, and federal-land development.
Sources & driving stories
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
The Columbus Dispatch coverageNew York passes statewide data-center pause
New York lawmakers passed the Responsible Data Center Development Act, which would impose a one-year moratorium on new hyperscale data-center permits if Gov. Kathy Hochul signs it. The package also adds public-hearing and environmental-review requirements, new electric and water rate classes for data centers above 20 megawatts, and community-benefits and labor provisions. If enacted, it would be the first statewide data-center permit pause in the U.S.
Why it matters
It could become a national template for state-level data-center oversight and slow hyperscale project approvals.
Sources & driving stories
ROUTE FIFTY · Chris Teale
Route Fifty coverageWorth noting
WORTH NOTING
Charlotte approves 150-day moratorium
It extends North Carolina's local backlash as cities and counties rewrite zoning for power- and water-intensive facilities.
WORTH NOTING
Texas pushes cost-shift rules
Abbott's recommendations would make new data centers cover grid upgrades, report annual utility use, and use more water-efficient cooling.
WORTH NOTING
Goochland sees 900-acre proposal
Tract's filing adds a major new Virginia campus to the pipeline, with 12 data-center buildings and long-term utility extensions.
Still unclear
OPEN QUESTION
Will New York's pause become law?
Governor Hochul's decision will determine whether the first statewide moratorium becomes a new policy baseline for hyperscale siting.
OPEN QUESTION
Can mega-campus financing hold up?
Oracle's and OpenAI's reported plans imply unprecedented capital needs and partner risk that could reshape data-center financing.