Blogs

Abandoned Pennsylvania mines and waste‑heat recycling could make the state’s massive new data centers far more sustainable

By District Energy posted 15 hours ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
The Conversation Summary The electricity needed to power new Pennsylvania data centers already in advanced stages of planning could power 11 million homes – nearly twice the total number of households in the state. Companies that want to build data centers to expand their cloud and artificial intelligence computing are drawn to Pennsylvania due to its proximity to major East Coast cities, relatively affordable land and electricity, and legacy industrial infrastructure. For instance, there is a plan to turn an abandoned steel mill in Pittsburgh into a high-density data center that can leverage the existing infrastructure for electricity ...
0 comments

Future energy, circular solutions: How communities are redefining local energy resilience

By District Energy posted 15 hours ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
ReNew Canada Summary Across Canada, communities are navigating a rapidly shifting energy landscape. Rising energy costs, extreme weather and aging infrastructure are putting new pressure on municipal budgets and essential services. What once were predictable operating environments have become increasingly uncertain, pushing municipalities to find solutions that provide stability, affordability and long-term resilience. While these challenges are significant, they are also sparking a wave of innovation at the local level. Municipalities are uniquely positioned to lead Canada’s energy transition because they understand their communities’ needs, assets ...
0 comments

Data Center Waste Heat Recovery

By District Energy posted 15 hours ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
American Planning Association Summary The recent surge in artificial intelligence (AI) use has driven a similar increase in data center development. In most cases, data centers are resource drains that negatively impact neighboring communities. An average data center uses between four and five times the energy of a similar-sized office building, and its servers generate so much heat that they need year-round, constant cooling. This waste heat can become a valuable resource, however, when it is used instead of fossil fuels to heat nearby buildings. A growing number of projects in the U.S. and around the world are now using data centers as heat sources for ...
0 comments

The first energy community project in Moldova, launched in Cociulia with the support of Sweden

By District Energy posted 15 hours ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
Cotidianul Summary The Republic of Moldova is taking a new step in the development of green energy. In the village of Cociulia, Cantemir district, the first renewable energy community pilot project in the country will be implemented, which provides for the installation of a photovoltaic power plant aimed at reducing the energy costs of the local community. The initiative was discussed during a meeting between Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu and Swedish Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova Petra Larke. The discussions analyzed joint projects in the energy field and the possibilities of expanding bilateral cooperation, IPN reports. Minister Dorin ...
0 comments

Connecticut lawmakers look at ways to boost electricity supply

By District Energy posted 15 hours ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
NBC CT Summary Connecticut lawmakers on the Energy and Technology Committee are trying to lay the groundwork to increase energy supply in the future. That includes proposals to ramp up the state’s advanced nuclear workforce and continue some clean energy programs. DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes noted that proposals could include plans to expand to produce more energy. She also said she’s been educating local leaders who may be considering facilities in their towns. “If we’re talking nuclear anywhere besides Waterford, that has to come from the community level and be community opt-in,” Dyke said. Other bills included possible incentives ...
0 comments

What Makes Deep Geothermal District Heating Different?

By District Energy posted 15 hours ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
AAC&U Summary In Utah and Nevada, two-mile-deep enhanced geothermal systems have produced electricity. In the eastern U.S., the rocks are about three times less hot at similar depth, which is not economically practical for power generation, but is ideal for heating buildings directly. Cornell University recently drilled a two-mile-deep borehole to assess the feasibility of EGS for direct heat production, but many challenges to deploying this type of system still exist. The economic potential for direct heat-generating enhanced geothermal systems is on the order of 320 gigawatt-thermal units in the United States, enough to heat about 45 million households. ...
0 comments

EU presses forward on modular nuclear reactors to fast-track energy transition

By District Energy posted 15 hours ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
The Brussels Times Summary The European Commission has set out a plan to speed up the development and roll-out of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs) in Europe. SMRs are smaller nuclear reactors designed to be built in modules, with reactors or components manufactured in factories and transported to sites for deployment or final assembly, the Commission said in a statement on Tuesday. It added the technology could be used alongside renewable energy and provide low-carbon electricity as well as heat for uses such as district heating and industrial processes. Continue Reading #News #Nuclear #DistrictHeat ...
0 comments

AI company wants city council to endorse data centre project

By District Energy posted 15 hours ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
Prince George Cititzen Summary A tech company is looking for the City of Prince George to endorse a project to build a technology and education campus in the region, according to a letter attached to the Monday, March 9 city council meeting agenda. CedarCore AI Inc. writes that it's proposed Prince George-area facility would include an artificial intelligence data centre component. The cold climate, CedarCore said, means that minimal water will have to be used to cool the equipment in the proposed facility. BC’s access to clean electricity also means that the centre should have a low carbon footprint. Also proposed is a heat exchange system to help ...
0 comments

Two major capital projects on TRU's campus on schedule for completion by end of year

By District Energy posted 15 hours ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
Castanet Summary Work is “humming along" for two major capital projects on the Thompson Rivers University campus, with both projects expected to be substantially completed before the end of the year. That’s according to Matt Milovick, vice-president of finance and administration, who said TRU’s Low-Carbon District Energy System (LCDES) is on track for a November completion. The Indigenous Education Centre is expected to be completed by December. Once the switch is flipped on the new centre, TRU said emissions coming from the campus will be reduced by 95 per cent compared to 2020 levels. Continue Reading #News #DistrictEnergy
0 comments

Strong financial and operational performance from Empower

By District Energy posted 16 hours ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
Empower Summary As its business continues to grow and achieve successive operational and financial milestones, Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation PJSC (Empower), the world’s largest district cooling services provider, has reaffirmed its commitment to distributing dividends to shareholders regularly, twice a year since its listing on the Dubai Financial Market in November 2022. The company has demonstrated its ability to generate steadily increasing profits, with total dividends distributed to shareholders over the past three years reaching AED 2.575 billion, reflecting its strong performance and commitment to enhancing shareholder value. “Empower’s ...
0 comments

The Five Forces Driving An AI-Powered Energy Revolution In 2026

By District Energy posted yesterday
Be the first person to recommend this.
Forbes Summary Resilience emerged as the dominant theme of 2025. In 2026, it becomes the foundation for every energy decision. Organizations can no longer plan solely for efficiency or decarbonization. They must also plan for continuity. Energy resilience is now a core driver of capital investment as concerns about reliability, grid congestion and security intensify. Electrification continues its rapid expansion, moving well beyond buildings and passenger vehicles into manufacturing, heavy-duty fleets and industrial heat. Managed charging infrastructure, industrial heat pumps and combined heat and power retrofits using renewable fuels are gaining traction ...
0 comments

Virginia - Data centers; Department of Energy shall lead efforts to accelerate use of waste heat, report.

By District Energy posted yesterday
Be the first person to recommend this.
Department of Energy; use of waste heat from data centers; findings and recommendations; work group; report. Directs the Department of Energy to lead efforts to accelerate the use of waste heat from data centers in the Commonwealth by making certain findings and recommendations and convening a work group to provide expertise, assistance, and feedback on the Department's efforts. The bill requires the Department to submit a report of its efforts, findings, legislative proposals, and recommendations no later than September 1, 2026. Continue Reading #News #DataCenter #DistrictEnergy
0 comments

New Report Explores Opportunities to Harness Waste Heat from AI Data Centers for Community Benefit Across Appalachia

By District Energy posted yesterday
Be the first person to recommend this.
ReImagine Appalachia Summary As the first in what hopefully will become a series of materials and events promoting responsible data center development, ReImagine Appalachia today released Catching Heat: The Opportunities and Challenges of Using Waste Heat from Appalachian AI Data Centers , a groundbreaking report examining how the region can turn a byproduct of the AI boom into a resource for heating industry, homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses. As AI‑driven data centers rapidly expand across Appalachia, they bring both costs and benefits. The question is whether we can find a way to maximize the benefits and minimize the costs with more responsible ...
0 comments

Data Center's Hidden Energy Advantage

By District Energy posted 7 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
Data Center Post Summary As the number of data centers grows, so do concerns about location, power access, and grid capacity, especially as AI and cloud computing drive surging electricity demand. Yet, data centers hold an unexpected solution: the waste heat they generate can be harnessed for community benefit. Captured through district energy systems, this heat can be transformed into a valuable community resource that provides low-carbon warmth, improves grid stability, and redefines data centers as energy partners. The Power Behind the Numbers In 2023, data centers accounted for roughly 4.4% of total U.S. electricity use, a share projected to ...
0 comments

Oak Ridge National Laboratory launches the Next-Generation Data Centers Institute

By District Energy posted 7 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
newswise Summary In response to the societal challenge of growing electricity demand from AI data centers, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is launching the Next Generation Data Centers Institute (NGDCI). This internal ORNL institute will unite the laboratory’s unique expertise and facilities that span energy technologies, high-performance computing, cybersecurity, and grid science to ensure that America’s rapidly growing AI infrastructure remains secure, efficient, and reliable. Data centers account for more than 4% of U.S. electricity use , and by 2030, that figure could climb as high as 17%, according to analysis by the Electric ...
0 comments

New report: Sustainability is driving major cost savings across UC

By District Energy posted 7 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
University of California Summary The University of California has saved approximately $620 million since 2010 by improving the energy efficiency of its facilities, with $100 million of those savings in 2024 alone. “There’s a general misconception that environmentally sustainable operations are more costly than doing business as usual,” says University of California Chief Financial Officer Nathan Brostrom. “But what we’ve found over 22 years of setting and meeting ambitious sustainability goals at the University of California is that environmental and financial sustainability are two sides of the same coin, because using resources more efficiently often ...
0 comments

Con Edison Thermal Energy Network Pilots in New York City

By District Energy posted 7 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
wsp Summary Buildings are the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in New York State. Most of these emissions come from onsite combustion of fossil fuels for basic needs, such as heating, hot water and cooking. Decarbonizing buildings therefore represents one of the most critical — and challenging — opportunities in dense urban environments. Yet there’s an alternative way to transition these buildings rather than full-building electrification. Thermal Energy Networks (TENs) use shared underground piping and centralized thermal infrastructure to support low-carbon heating and cooling to multiple buildings. These systems enable heat recovery ...
0 comments

Keeping cool: CHP systems and absorption chillers are a winning combo for data center developers

By District Energy posted 7 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
Renewable Energy World Summary Data center demand is surging due to the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing, and developers are under pressure to find reliable, resilient, and cost-efficient power sources. Microgrids are rising to meet this challenge. These localized energy resources can operate independently of the main grid and help data center owners and operators to meet their power generation needs. But achieving optimal results from microgrids requires planning for the right mix and configuration of technologies such as renewables, storage, gensets, and thermal assets. The right mix and sizing of these energy generation and ...
0 comments

Oracle Commits to Sustainable Future in New Mexico

By District Energy posted 7 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
Las Cruces Today Summary Oracle has submitted a letter to the New Mexico Environment Department in support of air permit approval for the Doña Ana County East and West Microgrids tied to its planned Project Jupiter AI data center campus in southern New Mexico. The microgrids will use advanced emission controls and be subject to continuous monitoring to meet or exceed air quality standards, with plans to integrate renewable energy like solar and fuel cells in the future. The project is expected to deliver significant economic benefits to the region, including thousands of construction jobs, up to 1,500 ongoing jobs, and over $360 million in direct payments ...
0 comments

Sustainable Success at CMU

By District Energy posted 7 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
CMU Now Summary CMU’s geo-exchange system is just one of many initiatives that have made the university more sustainable in the past, present and future. A major milestone in CMU’s sustainability journey came in 2008 with the launch of the Thermal Energy Network (TEN), a campus-wide geo-exchange system. The project began after Governor Ritter’s executive order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent in 2020 and 80 percent by 2050. CMU’s geo-exchange system covers approximately 70 percent of the campus and plays a crucial role in reducing the university’s carbon footprint. The benefits of this geo-exchange system extend beyond the environmental ...
0 comments