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Key developments
FERC orders faster grid access for data centers
keysnews.com, carrying Associated Press reporting, and SiliconANGLE reported that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission unanimously directed six major regional grid operators to speed interconnection processes for AI data centers and other large loads. The orders require responses within 30 days on adequate power supplies and within 60 days on integrating large users under revised rules; data centers would pay the full cost of required grid upgrades. The directives also address behind-the-meter projects and flexible large loads that can shift demand to reduce grid stress.
Why it matters
Federal interconnection rules are becoming a central constraint on data-center delivery timelines as AI campuses seek city-scale power loads.
Sources & driving stories
KEYSNEWS.COM
keysnews.com coverageSILICONANGLE
SiliconANGLE coverageRMZ plans multi-gigawatt India data-center buildout
Yahoo Finance, carrying Reuters reporting, said Bengaluru-based RMZ plans to expand from 250MW of data-center capacity to 2-3GW over five years as part of a $35 billion investment push. RMZ Infrastructure president Deepak Chhabria said three projects are in final-stage discussions and would lift total capacity above 1GW, while land acquisitions targeted by year-end could support about 2GW. The company is building co-location data centers and AI factories and is exploring deeper exposure to GPUs, power infrastructure and software.
Why it matters
India remains one of the fastest-scaling AI infrastructure markets, and RMZ is positioning for hyperscaler demand at gigawatt scale.
Sources & driving stories
YAHOO FINANCE
Yahoo Finance coverageHolyoke enacts Massachusetts' first data-center ban
MassLive's Aprell May Munford reported that Holyoke became the first Massachusetts city to ban new data centers after the City Council approved a zoning amendment 9-4 and Mayor Joshua Garcia signed it Thursday. The ordinance defines and prohibits additional data centers while allowing the Massachusetts Green High-Performance Computing Center to continue operating, capped at 12MW. The move ends Chestnut River Power and Infrastructure's planned $200 million data center at a defunct Water Street mill site and creates a study process running through June 30, 2027.
Why it matters
The Holyoke vote shows local opposition moving beyond moratoria toward outright prohibitions that can terminate projects already in the pipeline.
Sources & driving stories
MASSLIVE · Aprell May Munford
MassLive coverageWorth noting
WORTH NOTING
Meta-Crusoe capacity deals total 1.6GW
Yahoo reported Bloomberg News findings that Meta secured AI computing capacity from Crusoe at sites in Childress, Texas, and Warrenton, Missouri, underscoring continued hyperscaler dependence on third-party gigawatt-scale campuses.
WORTH NOTING
Panthalassa raises $140M for ocean platforms
Interesting Engineering's Aman Tripathi reported that Panthalassa closed a $140 million Series B to build wave-powered maritime data platforms, complete an assembly facility near Portland, Oregon, and run an Ocean-3 pilot in the northern Pacific later this year.
WORTH NOTING
Archbald sound hearing remains unresolved
The Scranton Times-Tribune reported that Archbald, Pennsylvania deferred a decision to July 13 after a preliminary sound study for Project Green Mountain's seven-building, 196-generator campus drew scrutiny over generator testing, low-frequency noise and modeling margins.
Still unclear
OPEN QUESTION
Can interconnection reform solve physical bottlenecks?
FERC can force clearer timelines and cost allocation, but the reporting still points to shortages in generation, transformers, turbines and skilled labor.
OPEN QUESTION
Will full-cost pledges satisfy local opposition?
Ratepayer protection is becoming a baseline demand, but communities are also objecting to water use, noise, air emissions, land conversion and project transparency.