Climate
Privacy
Bob Dylan
Drones
Data Centers
AI Governance
2026 Maine Senate Race
Key developments
States sharpen data-center limits and cost controls
State policy pressure intensified around data-center power, water, permitting, and ratepayer costs. New York lawmakers approved a one-year moratorium on new large data centers, described by Politico as the first statewide ban if enacted, while also weighing renewable-energy purchase requirements and higher electricity rates for data centers. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Public Utility Commission and ERCOT to protect residents from grid costs tied to gigawatt-scale projects and called for 2027 legislation to repeal data-center tax exemptions, require closed-loop cooling, and mandate electricity and water reporting.
Why it matters
The permitting and incentive assumptions behind large AI campuses are becoming less certain as states move costs and disclosure burdens onto developers.
Sources & driving stories
POLITICO · Nick Reisman
Politico coverageDATA CENTER RICHNESS · Rich Miller
Data Center Richness coverageNATIONAL LAW REVIEW
National Law Review coverageWest Virginia receives first microgrid certification filing
Chris Morris, director of the West Virginia Data Economy Office, said Thursday that the state received its first application to certify a microgrid tied to data-center development. He declined to identify the applicant but said the filing reached the Department of Commerce this week. Morris also said the state has not received a certification application from Fundamental Data for its proposed natural gas-powered complex between Thomas and Davis in Tucker County.
Why it matters
West Virginia’s new data-center regime is moving from policy design into project review, with behind-the-meter power now becoming a live permitting issue.
Sources & driving stories
CHARLESTON GAZETTE-MAIL · Caity Coyne
Charleston Gazette-Mail coverageAI infrastructure capital keeps moving at scale
Data Center Richness reported that OpenAI is in advanced negotiations, citing The Information, to lease a proposed 10 GW data-center campus at the Department of Energy’s Portsmouth site in Piketon, Ohio, with possible NVIDIA backing and power infrastructure from SoftBank’s SB Energy and AEP. The same report noted KKR’s formal launch of Helix Digital Infrastructure with more than $10 billion in committed long-duration capital, alongside founding partners including the Kuwait Investment Authority, NVIDIA, and Vistra. Separately, Applied Digital said in early June it secured a 15-year, 210 MW hyperscale lease at Delta Forge 2 and closed $1.59 billion in senior secured notes plus a $350 million revolving credit facility.
Why it matters
Even as political resistance rises, hyperscaler demand and infrastructure financing are still pushing projects toward multi-gigawatt, multi-billion-dollar scale.
Sources & driving stories
DATA CENTER RICHNESS · Rich Miller
Data Center Richness coverageYAHOO FINANCE
Yahoo Finance coverageWorth noting
WORTH NOTING
Virginia tax-break fight escalates
Sen. Louise Lucas began a statewide rally tour opposing data-center tax exemptions as Virginia faces a June 30 budget deadline and a Senate-backed impact fee projected to raise more than $1.7 billion annually.
WORTH NOTING
Local moratoriums keep spreading
Seattle approved a one-year moratorium after five proposed projects were estimated at 369 MW of demand, while Allendale Township adopted a yearlong pause and Lee County, Iowa, began legal review of a possible moratorium.
WORTH NOTING
Salem Township land deal advances
4-3 Glen Brook Group said it will seek zoning approval for a more than 4,000-acre Pennsylvania project tied to a $1.2 billion land deal, with an unnamed buyer and plans for power generation and closed-loop cooling.
Still unclear
OPEN QUESTION
Will governors sign or soften moratoriums?
New York’s statewide pause, Maine-style revisions, and local moratoriums show that legislative approval is only one step; final executive action will shape near-term project risk.
OPEN QUESTION
Can self-supply satisfy ratepayer concerns?
Texas, West Virginia, Entergy, and major campus developers are all emphasizing microgrids or dedicated generation, but regulators still need to decide who pays for grid upgrades, backup reliability, and public-resource impacts.