The population of the communities surrounding the Colossus 2 site, which is in the center of a lawsuit involving unpermitted natural gas turbines and pollution, is predominantly black.
New York has become the first state to temporarily halt approval of large data centers, as Gov. Kathy Hochul argues the AI-driven building boom shouldn’t come at the expense of higher electricity costs, water supplies, or local control.
New York is the first to pass a statewide data center moratorium, which pauses all projects greater than 50 MW for one year. The governor’s office said that it will create a GEIS to hold developments to “consistent standards,” and also study the environmental impact of the construction and operation of data centers.
Meta is expanding Hyperion from 2 GW to 5 GW, lifting its Louisiana investment above $50 billion as it races to secure more AI computing capacity.
Ireland’s data centers consumed 23% of the country’s electricity in 2025, rising 10% in one year despite restrictions on new grid connections.
Global data center electricity consumption will grow 26% in 2026 to reach 565 TWh, up from 447 TWh in 2025.
Oregon approves the 29.7% price hike that Portland General Electric (PGE), the state’s largest power provider, will impose on users that consume 20MW or more. This move is backed by Oregon’s POWER Act, which helps ensure that data centers in PGE’s coverage area pay their fair share.
The British government ruled that nationally significant infrastructure projects, which include data centers, can bypass local council approvals. This move is expected to speed up developments by up to a year and save more than a billion dollars.
Wisconsin residents file class-action lawsuit against Microsoft due to data center noise — plaintiffs also mention construction noise and extreme light pollution
Fill-and-flush is a commissioning step whereby crews fill a cooling loop’s piping with water and flush it to clear debris before the system is run.