DataCenters.buzz, February 2025

We deliver curated news excerpts on …

• DataCenter Economics & Investments

• Energy & Sustainability

• Geopolitics, Global & Sovereigns

• Hyperscalers & Mag 7+

• Infrastructure, Security & Technology

• Quantum Readiness, Hybrid Computing & Co-Location

• DataCenter Workforce & Talent

DataCenter Economics & Investments

Meta in Talks for $200 Billion AI Data Center Project, 'The Information' Reports - Meta Platforms is in discussions to construct a new data center campus for its artificial intelligence projects, with potential costs exceeding $200 billion, The Information reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Meta executives have informed data center developers that the company is considering building the campus in states including Louisiana, Wyoming or Texas, with senior leaders having visited potential sites this month, the report said. (Reporting by Surbhi Misra in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Varun H K)

Dominion Energy's Data Center Growth Continues to Accelerate - Dominion Energy (D.N), opens new tab raised its five-year capital expenditure plan on Wednesday as electricity demand from data centers in its Virginia market continues to accelerate. The Richmond, Virginia-based utility expects to spend $50.1 billion from 2025 to 2029, up from its previous estimate of $43.2 billion. "What's undeniable is that data center growth in Virginia is not slowing down," Dominion Chief Executive Robert Blue said on a conference call. "In fact, it's accelerating. We're taking every step to meet this opportunity." (Reuters)

Earlier news:

Blackstone Holds Firm On Data Center Investments Despite DeepSeek Model Turmoil - Blackstone said on its massive investments in data centers would not be undermined by the low-cost artificial intelligence models from China's DeepSeek, as the need for physical infrastructure was still vital for AI. The alternative asset manager, which has $80 billion worth of leased data centers, said its strategy for the segment was grounded in a "very prudent approach" and touted its partnerships with "some of the biggest companies in the world". (Reuters)

Cloud Adoption Plus Ai Will Contribute Trillions Of Dollars To Global GDP - The cloud’s contribution to global GDP is projected to surpass $12 trillion in the next six years according to a trio of new studies.

Energy & Sustainability

WA Governor Directs Team to Analyze Impact of Data Centers on Energy, Taxes, and Employment - Governor Bob Ferguson announced the formation of a specialized workgroup to assess the implications of data centers on Washington's economy, tax revenue, energy consumption, and environmental impact. The new initiative (Executive Order 25-05), aims to harmonize the state's tech growth with its sustainability goals. "We must ensure Washington remains a leader in technology and sustainability — these experts will help us do that," Ferguson stated. (Source One)

The Great Disappearing Data Center Demand Crisis - If you heard a popping sound this morning, that would be the sound of heads exploding over a new grid management concept called curtailment-enabled headroom. It’s the latest entry in a growing list of solutions to the data center demand crisis, which turns out to be not much of a crisis after all. What was that about “drill, baby, drill” again? A research team based at the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability at Duke University has introduced a more accessible and potentially less expensive solution, which they are calling “curtailment-enabled headroom.” The team describes curtailment-enabled headroom in a newly published study billed as the first of its kind, under the title, Rethinking Load Growth: Assessing the Potential for Integration of Large Flexible Loads in US Power Systems. (Clean Technica)

Dominion Energy's Data Center Growth Continues to Accelerate - Dominion Energy (D.N), raised its five-year capital expenditure plan on Wednesday as electricity demand from data centers in its Virginia market continues to accelerate. The Richmond, Virginia-based utility expects to spend $50.1 billion from 2025 to 2029, up from its previous estimate of $43.2 billion. "What's undeniable is that data center growth in Virginia is not slowing down," Dominion Chief Executive Robert Blue said on a conference call. "In fact, it's accelerating. We're taking every step to meet this opportunity." (Reuters)

Modern Hydrogen and Mesa Solutions Partner to Deliver On-Site Clean Power for Data Centers

Silicon Photonics: A Light Way to Lower Data Centre Energy Needs?

Earlier news:

As California AI Data Centers Grow, So Does Dirty Energy - (OpEd) Data center builders in California are using a shortcut in the state’s power plant regulations to construct facilities that use enormous amounts of energy with limited public input. With artificial intelligence pushing energy demands ever higher, a business group representing tech companies last year lobbied the state Legislature to expand the Small Power Plant Exemption, which is administered by the California Energy Commission, from 100 megawatts to 150 megawatts a day. Though the effort failed, the quest for more energy to power data centers is intensifying. (Capital & Main)

Geopolitics, Global & Sovereigns

DataVolt to Invest $5 Billion in NEOM’s First Net-Zero AI Data Center - NEOM and DataVolt have signed a landmark agreement to develop the first net-zero AI factory campus in Oxagon, northwest Saudi Arabia. The $5 billion investment will fund the initial phase, with operations set to begin in 2028. The energy-intensive nature of data centers is a growing global concern. The project aligns with Saudi Arabia’s vision to transition to sustainable, AI-driven digital infrastructure. (ESG News)

Infibeam to Set Up Small-scale Data Centres Across India, “Decentralized Model” for Edge Computing, Resilience

Airtrunk to Develop Its Second Cloud and Ai-Ready Data Center in Malaysia

Earlier news:

Special Compute Zones Will Drive Sovereign Cloud Infrastructure in the UK - The UK currently occupies an enviable position in the AI arms race. World-class research institutions produce leading AI talent, and a developed financial sector provides the capital and expertise needed to scale. The result is a slate of top-tier homegrown AI labs, as well as a series of US big tech firms choosing to set up their European arms in London. The UK has laid the foundations, but now it needs to pave the way for future success. At the core of the country’s strategy must be developing a sovereign cloud infrastructure that pries British startups away from the vice-like grip of dominant hyperscalers like AWS, Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure. (Data Center Dynamics)

Nvidia Pledges Ai Collaboration With Thailand Amid Data Center Ecosystem Hurdles - Nvidia plans to collaborate with the Thai government to establish a world-class AI infrastructure, though questions remain about Thailand's ability to fully capitalize on its strengths in developing a significant presence in the AI data center ecosystem. According to Barron's and the Bangkok Post, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang met with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on December 3, resulting in both parties agreeing to deepen AI cooperation.

Saudi Arabia Launches $100 Billion AI Initiative to Lead in Global Tech - Saudi Arabia has announced a 100 billion USD initiative aimed at establishing itself as a major player in artificial intelligence, data analytics, and advanced technology. The program, known as Project Transcendence, marks a significant push by the Kingdom to develop a robust AI ecosystem that can rival leading tech hubs, including neighbouring United Arab Emirates and other global technology centers. Project Transcendence is expected to channel investments into critical areas needed to create a thriving AI industry. (CIO)

Hyperscalers & Mag 7+

AWS, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and Oracle: Five Data Center Deals Worth $676B Announced This Month - Since 2025 began, more than half a trillion dollars in data center investment has been announced from the biggest hyperscale players including Amazon Web Services, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and Oracle. Meta is planning a data center that’s bigger than New York’s Central Park, while Microsoft has pledged $80 billion to bring its own designs. But OpenAI, Nvidia, and Oracle that have so far come in with the largest figure, some $500 billion over four years for a site in Texas. (CRN)

Earlier news:

Microsoft Will Invest $80B in Ai Data Centers in Fiscal 2025 - Microsoft is on track to invest around $80 billion this fiscal year to build out AI-enabled data centers, company president Brad Smith said Friday. “Not since the invention of electricity has the United States had the opportunity it has today to harness new technology to invigorate the nation’s economy,” he wrote in the blog post titled The Golden Opportunity for American AI, continuing, “In many ways, artificial intelligence is the electricity of our age, and the next four years can build a foundation for America’s economic success for the next quarter century.” (Network World)

Meta announces 4 Million Sq Ft, 2GW Louisiana Data Center Campus - Social media giant Meta has confirmed plans to build a data center in Louisiana announcing a $10 billion development in Richland Parish, northeast Louisiana. “We are excited to announce that Richland Parish, Louisiana, will be home to Meta’s newest data center — our 23rd data center in the US and 27th in the world,” the company said on Facebook. “This custom-designed four million-square-foot campus will be our largest data center to date. It will play a vital role in accelerating our AI progress.” (Data Center Dynamics)

Big Tech's AI Splurge Worries Investors About Returns - Big technology companies including Microsoft Meta, and Amazon, are stepping up spending to build out AI data centers in a rush to meet vast demand, but Wall Street is hungry for a quicker payday on the billions invested. Microsoft and Meta both said their capital expenses were growing due to their AI investments. Alphabet also reported that these expenditures would remain elevated, while Amazon said they would increase the rest of the year and into 2025.

Google Turns to Nuclear to Power AI data Centres - Google has signed a deal to use small nuclear reactors to generate the vast amounts of energy needed to power its artificial intelligence (AI) data centres. The company says the agreement with Kairos Power will deliver the first reactor this decade and bring more online by 2035. (BBC)

Infrastructure, Security & Technology

DeepCoolAI and Cisco Partner to Engineer the Future of AI Data Centers - As artificial intelligence (AI) workloads continue to push computing infrastructure to its limits, DeepCoolAI and Cisco have entered into a strategic partnership to deliver cutting-edge liquid cooling solutions that optimize thermal management, energy efficiency, and performance in high-density AI data centers. DeepCoolAI and Cisco are collaborating to integrate next-gen liquid cooling technology into Cisco’s AI infrastructure. (EIN News)

AI Fueling Data Center Construction Boom in Georgia - The Peach State is now one of the fastest-growing markets in the U.S. for data centers. In 2024, Atlanta was the top city in the U.S. for new facilities. As of mid-2024, data center construction had increased 76 per cent in the Atlanta market, compared to the same time in 2023. The area around Atlanta is the main area of activity. (Construct Connect)

Earlier news:

AI Will Change the Nature of Data Center Builds in 2025 - AI-driven transformation is reshaping data center builds for 2025 – from dense fiber systems to innovative cooling solutions. According to a May 2024 outlook published by Goldman Sachs, AI implementations are now expected to force up to a 160% spike in data center power demand, demonstrating the increased urgency in managing this growth as the race for resources heats up. (Data Center Knowledge)

POTUS Opens Publicly Owned Land to Data Centers Run on Clean Energy - President Biden issued an executive order to permit data centers on federal lands in a move aimed at bolstering clean energy and protecting national security during a boom in artificial intelligence (Sci Am)

Microsoft Says New Technology Will Save Water At Mount Pleasant, WI Data Center Development - Microsoft’s data center development in Mount Pleasant, WI will be among the first in the world to use a new closed-loop system to recycle water — a move the company says “significantly reduces the need for fresh water.” “These new liquid cooling technologies recycle water through a closed loop,” Solomon wrote about the new technology. “Once the system is filled during construction, it will continually circulate water between the servers and chillers to dissipate heat without requiring a fresh water supply.” (WPR)

Quantum-readiness, Hybrid & Co-Location

SoftBank Corp. and Quantinuum Announce Groundbreaking Partnership Toward Practical Application of Quantum Computing - SoftBank Corp. and Quantinuum announced they agreed to a wide-ranging partnership in quantum computing. By combining their respective strengths, both companies will unlock innovative quantum computing solutions that will overcome the limitations of classical artificial intelligence (AI) and realize next-generation technologies. This unique initiative coincides with the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ) in 2025, and it is expected to ignite new business opportunities through the dynamic fusion of AI and quantum computing. (SoftBank)

Earlier news:

Quantum Computing Remains Experimental Despite 2024 Advances: Forrester - Quantum computing made significant strides in 2024, but it’s yet to demonstrate a practical advantage over classical digital computers, according to a recent trends report released by Forrester Research. “Despite improvements in qubit count, coherence time, and gate fidelity, the technology remains experimental, with broad-scale applications likely still a decade away,” maintained the report written by Forrester Vice President for Emerging Technologies Brian Hopkins and Principal Analyst David Mooter, with Stephanie Balaouras, Mike Gualtieri, Charlie Dai, James McGlynn, and Jen Barton. (Tech News World)

10 Quantum Computing Milestones Of 2024 - When it comes to the general-purpose quantum computers, the superconducting approach seems to be in the lead right now, according to Gartner analyst Chirag Dekate. “The physics is much better understood and it’s now an engineering problem, not a physics problem,” he says. “We’re really at the level of real-world use cases,” says Holger Mueller, an analyst at Constellation Research. “We’ve jumped the qubit barrier.” #1. QuEra demonstrates new error correction method. This year started off with a series of announcements about breakthroughs in error correction. What’s the deal with error correction? Qubits are ridiculously sensitive and unreliable. “Error correction is vital for enterprise users of quantum computing,” says Yoram Avidan, CTO of Citigroup’s Innovation Lab and global head of Citi Accelerator... (Network World)

Accenture Expands Generative AI-Powered Cybersecurity Services and Capabilities to Accelerate Clients’ Resilience and Reinvention - Accenture announced new services and capabilities designed to reinvent business and cyber resilience through the power of gen AI, deepfake protection and quantum-safe data security solutions to help clients across industries become cyber-resilient organizations. “Modern cybersecurity protects across the entire business—from the digital core to the supply chain—and draws on gen AI-powered and quantum-proof protections, which are vital as cybercriminals ramp up new kinds of attacks using advanced AI technologies,” said Julie Sweet, chair and CEO, Accenture. “Our new cybersecurity services and centers help our clients use the latest technologies to safeguard their critical assets and increase their resilience, so they can reinvent with confidence and create more value faster.” (Accenture)

DataCenter Workforce & Talent

EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure Implements Strategic Personnel Expansions to Dynamically Address Data Center Industry Growth - "Business as usual is no longer an option for data center developers due to the revolutionary level of change we are experiencing in the industry in response to AI innovations," said Lee Kestler, CEO, EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure. "We believe that ‘EdgeCore was born for AI' so to further accelerate our ability to bring 300+ MW data center campuses online, we are making a series of strategic leadership appointments and related changes throughout the company that will address and anticipate the exciting market dynamics facing our hyperscale customers." (WSIL TV)

Earlier news:

Employment in Data Centers Increased by More Than 60% From 2016 to 2023 But Growth Was Uneven Across the United States - Employment in U.S. data centers — facilities that house the computer systems that store and manage data — increased more than 60% nationally from 2016 to 2023 but growth was uneven across the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Quarterly Workforce Indicators (QWI).The number of people working in data centers grew from 306,000 to 501,000 between 2016 and 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But the QWI shows where the growth is concentrated and provides a profile of data center workers. (US Census Bureau)

How Many Jobs Are Available in Technology in the US? - The unemployment rate among technology professionals fell slightly to 2.5% in November, matching the low end of the rate for 2024 so far, according to an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released in early December 2024. To succeed in the market, tech leaders must go beyond just technology, she said. They need to prove themselves as “AI forward thinkers,” a broad trait that includes systems thinking, data science, tech expertise, and change management.

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