Data Centers & District Energy

culture map dallas Summary Google is investing a huge chunk of money in Texas: According to a release, the company will invest $40 billion on cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, with the development of new data centers in Armstrong and Haskell Counties. Google has contracted to add more than 6,200 megawatts (MW) of net new energy generation and capacity to the Texas electricity grid through power purchase agreements (PPAs) with energy developers such as AES Corporation, Enel North America, Intersect, Clearway, ENGIE, SB Energy, Ørsted, and X-Elio. Continue Reading #News #DataCenter #ENGIE

Arctic Today Summary The Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) has signed a loan agreement of NOK 1 billion (approximately EUR 86 million) with Hafslund AS to finance three strategic investments in Norway: the rebuilding of the Braskereidfoss hydropower facilities, construction of the Skygard Data Centre in Oslo, and the upgrade of Aker Hospital’s heating system. Construction is underway on a 20 MW data centre at Økern, Oslo, with completion of the first phase approaching. The data centre will enable the reuse of excess heat in the district heating system in Oslo. Hafslund Celsio upgrades and integrates the hospital’s heating system into Oslo’s northern district heating network. The upgrade will decrease emissions and secure reliable thermal energy during peak demand. Hafslund is Norway’s second largest renewable energy group with 81 power plants that together produce 21 TWh annually. Hafslund is also Norway’s largest district heating supplier, delivering 1.9 TWh of district heating to 400,000 people and businesses in Oslo. In addition, the group is involved in carbon capture and wind power, and has a 50 percent stake in Eidsiva Energi. Eidsiva Energi owns 100 percent of Elvia, Norway’s largest grid company. Continue Reading #News #DistrictHeating

devidiscourse Summary A new study published in Sustainability warns that the booming growth of artificial intelligence and cloud computing could double global data center energy consumption by 2030. However, researchers argue that a key technology, waste heat recovery (WHR), could transform these digital energy giants into models of environmental sustainability. By using heat pumps, energy storage, and advanced heat exchange systems, the waste heat generated from servers can be upgraded and reused for space heating, domestic hot water, or even electricity generation. When connected to local district heating networks, this recovered heat can reduce urban carbon emissions while offsetting operating costs. Continue Reading #News #DistrictHeating #DataCenter

Daily Finland Summary Lidl's parent company, the Schwarz Group, announced plans on Monday to build a new data centre in Germany at a cost of €11 billion, drawing praise from the government as it seeks to boost Germany's artificial intelligence (AI) credentials, reported dpa. The construction project represents the largest single investment in the firm's history, said Christian Müller, the co-chief executive of the firm's digital subsidiary Schwarz Digits. According to the plans, the waste heat generated by the computers will be fed into the district heating network of the regional energy supplier Süll and distributed to district heating customers in Lübbenau and the surrounding area. Continue Reading #News #DistrictEnergy #DataCenter

DCD Summary The UK’s first AI Growth Zone in the village of Culham in Oxfordshire may implement waste heat recycling. The South Oxfordshire District Council, which encompasses Culham, is looking for a third party to conduct a “techno-economic feasibility study” into opportunities arising from a data center’s waste heat. Data center waste heat is primarily used as part of district heating systems. Queen Mary University of London currently uses waste heat from its data center to warm buildings on its Mile End campus, and the government is currently providing support to district heating networks across the UK looking to implement similar measures. Continue Reading #News #DistrictHeating #DataCenters #DataCenter

w.media Summary Google has opened a new state-of-the-art data center in Winschoten, Groningen, to support rising global demand for AI-powered services across Google Cloud, Workspace, Search and Maps, and expand the company’s Dutch Cloud region, part of Google’s network of 42 regions worldwide. Google began construction on the Winschoten facility in late 2023 and works with nearly 160 Dutch suppliers, including 77 from Groningen. In a press release , Google emphasized that the Winschoten site was built with energy efficiency and environmental responsibility in mind. The facility can support off-site heat recovery for future district heating systems and is equipped with rooftop solar panels. Advanced air-cooling systems limit water consumption to domestic levels. Continue Reading #News #google #DistrictHeating

MINNPOST Summary During the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, a nearby data center supplied waste heat that kept the pools in the Olympic Aquatics Center warm. It is a vivid example that these facilities, often seen only as power-hungry warehouses , can also be engines of innovation that support communities beyond the digital services they provide. In Minnesota, where winters are long and cold, heat from data centers could someday warm schools, homes and businesses, cutting emissions and lowering bills. But for every example of innovation, there is also tension about where these projects belong. Local concerns regarding proposed data centers in Minnesota have ranged from noise, traffic and energy use to frustrations over transparency . Small- and large-scale data centers now present another opportunity at our doorstep. These facilities are arriving in every corner of the country. We should not treat them as an existential threat but rather approach them as an industry that needs to be carefully integrated into our built environment, towns and neighborhoods so that Minnesotans share in the benefits and are part of the technologies shaping the future. Continue Reading #News #Content #MemberNewsIDEA #EverGreenEnergy #DataCenter

Utility Dive Summary This year, a wave of state laws is reshaping how America builds data centers. Ohio’s HB 15 , effective in August, fast-tracks power build-out and microgrids for large loads. Texas’s SB 6 , in effect since July, makes mega-load data centers responsible for interconnection costs and makes them curtail-ready when the grid is stressed. States now need creativity to meet the moment with respect to data centers: concrete plans for where the power, water and grid capacity will come from, as well as how to create good jobs and benefit communities and the environment. Against this backdrop, we should be thinking about how data centers can stack functions for sustainability, efficiency and community benefit. And state governments, along with the federal government and municipalities, should be thinking about how to maximize these kinds of benefits. Continue Reading #News #DataCenter

Burges Salmon Summary Data centres are a booming asset class. Global demand for AI and cloud services is driving unprecedented growth. But continued growth in this area is predicated on a sustainable energy supply and as such, there is also pressure to decarbonise and consider longer term ESG implications. In September 2024, the UK Government designated data centres as part of the country’s critical national infrastructure. As the UK’s infrastructure evolves to meet net zero targets, the convergence of data centres and heat networks presents a unique opportunity for investors. With over £14 billion in UK infrastructure investment backing data centres and heat networks, the opportunity to monetise waste heat is no longer theoretical - it’s investable. At present, district heating systems are the main technology used to utilise waste heat from data centres. These systems are well established across Europe, and in the Nordics in particular. For example, Stockholm Data Parks will use data centre waste heat to supply 35,000 apartments in Stockholm. In London’s Old Oak and Park Royal regeneration area, Hemiko has been selected to develop the UK’s first data centre waste heat network , expected to heat over 9,000 homes. The project has received £36 million from the Green Heat Network Fund, alongside support from the Mayor of London’s Local Energy Accelerator and Green Finance programmes. Paddington Village District Energy Network in Liverpool is working with ...

En Insole Summary Ab has won an order worth over EUR 200 million in the USA: it will supply cogeneration plants with a total capacity of 250 megawatts to power future data centres dedicated to the development of artificial intelligence in Texas and Wyoming. They will be built between 2026 and 2027. The agreement, signed through Ab Energy USA with Conduit Power Llc, an independent power producer and provider of distributed generation solutions, involves the construction in Italy and then the delivery of 75 cogeneration modules equipped with selective catalytic reduction systems to cut CO2 emissions. They will use gas, or biomethane, to produce the electricity needed by the data centres, and are also ready for the eventual use of hydrogen mixtures. Continue Reading #News #CHP #DataCenter

North West Place Summary A planning application for a 40,000 sq ft facility providing 6MW of capacity is expected this side of Christmas and would mark the most significant step yet for the ambitious 50-acre campus. Silicon Sands’ first data centre, expected to cost somewhere between £60m and £80m, would also feature 20,000 sq ft of ancillary office space. It would be constructed on the site of the old fire station and engineering yard at Blackpool Airport, which was demolished in 2023. The council acquired the land using a £2m devolution grant. The scheme is being billed as a technology exemplar as it would pioneer the use of liquid immersion cooling technology alongside sustainable energy supply and a district heating system. Continue Reading #News #DistrictHeating

DCD Summary DCD's Zachary Skidmore talks with Jukka Makkonen of Helen, exploring the data center partnerships providing waste heat for district heating in Finland. Watch Video #News #DistrictHeating

itnews Summary Across the Asia Pacific, AI workloads are pushing rack densities, which averaged 8 to 40 kilowatts (kW), are now climbing to 130 to 600 kW, with projections of 1 MW per rack around 2028 to 2029. The old model of homogeneous, globally replicated facilities can no longer keep up with these extreme demands. Johnson Controls’ vice president and general manager of data centre solutions, Austin Domenici, told iTnews Asia that operators need to design for regional realities. Whether it is power availability in Jakarta, water scarcity in Mumbai, or land constraints in Tokyo, the ability to localise infrastructure strategies while maintaining global standards is a competitive advantage, said Domenici. The next phase of growth must consider how infrastructure contributes to the communities it operates in. That includes minimizing disruption, designing for low water and energy impact, and exploring opportunities for waste heat reuse and district energy integration. Continue Reading #News #MemberNewsIDEA #DataCenter

Power Summary The explosive growth of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and enterprise data storage has transformed data centers into the critical infrastructure of the digital economy. Yet their extraordinary and continuous electricity demands—often exceeding 100 megawatts per site—have made energy access and reliability the single most consequential factor in determining where these facilities are built. Meanwhile, the growing integration of microgrids and combined heat and power (CHP) systems has introduced new partnership and joint venture models between developers, utilities, and private investors. These arrangements, while innovative, require robust allocation of operational risk, environmental liability, and insurance coverage for regulatory noncompliance or emissions-related claims. The intersection of infrastructure and energy law has never been more intricate or more essential to the data center economy. Continue Reading #News #CHP #Microgrids

Coin Central Summary SK Telecom is deepening its push into the Asian artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure market with plans to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered AI data center in Vietnam. The move marks the company’s latest effort to extend its AI Data Center (AIDC) strategy beyond South Korea, following its ambitious 1-gigawatt (GW) expansion project in Ulsan. The new Vietnam facility, being developed in partnership with SK Innovation, will tap into LNG-based power generation to ensure consistent energy supply for high-performance AI computing. The facility aims to serve as a regional hub for data processing, AI model training, and cloud services tailored for manufacturing, industrial, and telecom clients across Southeast Asia. That expansion relies on electricity from SK Multi Utility, an SK Group affiliate operating a 300 MW LNG combined heat and power plant in Ulsan, a cost-effective alternative to grid-supplied energy from the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO). Vietnam’s similar industrial and energy ecosystem made it an attractive choice for replication of this model. Continue Reading #News #CHP

businesswire Summary The International District Energy Association (IDEA) has announced that registration is open for CampusEnergy2026, its 39th annual campus energy conference, to be held February 17-20, 2026, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Washington, D.C. More than 1,200 energy professionals, policymakers, and technology innovators are expected to attend the four-day event, which will spotlight district energy, microgrids, and thermal energy networks as essential tools for decarbonization at scale. The 2026 theme, “Advancing Thermal Networks,” will showcase how campuses—from universities to airports—are deploying innovative technologies to reduce emissions, improve efficiency, and strengthen resilience. Attendees will gain firsthand insights through over 100 technical sessions, site tours, expert panels, and hands-on workshops. “CampusEnergy2026 is about putting ideas into action,” said Rob Thornton, president and CEO of IDEA. “It brings together energy managers, city leaders, and innovators who are delivering real solutions to today’s climate and infrastructure challenges. Hosting in Washington, D.C.—a city long served by district energy—provides a fitting backdrop for global conversations on decarbonization, technology innovation, and resilient infrastructure.” The four-day conference will feature over 100 technical sessions, hands-on workshops, and case studies from campuses, military bases, airports, ...

DCD Summary North American utilities could see a capex “super cycle” driven by demand from data centers, according to credit ratings agency Morningstar DBRS. Growth expenditures by investor-owned utilities are expected to surpass $1.1 trillion by 2029 as increases in the size, capacity, and quantity of data centers in North America drives electricity demand. In the US, investor-owned utilities have already invested more than $1.3 trillion over the past decade. "We anticipate that regulated utilities with supportive regulatory commissions, solid credit ratings, and access to capital markets will deploy the needed capex to take advantage of the data center boom," said Bukola Folashakin, assistant vice president, Corporate Ratings at Morningstar DBRS. Continue Reading #News #DataCenter

E&E News Summary Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s proposal for speeding up power grid connections for data centers and advanced manufacturers has excited developers, but policy watchers caution that the way federal regulators execute the plan will make all the difference. “The devil is always in the details,” said former FERC Chair Mark Christie, who earlier this year unsuccessfully sought to establish policy guidelines for co-locating large data centers with power generation. Wright is calling on FERC to create standardized rules that would lead to faster project reviews from regional grid operators, while addressing some grid reliability and cost issues hanging over a major electricity expansion tied to the proliferation of supercomputers and data centers for artificial intelligence. Continue Reading #News #DataCenter

POWER Summary Google has signed a first-of-its-kind corporate offtake agreement to purchase power from a new 400-MW natural gas –fired cogeneration plant outfitted with carbon capture and storage (CCS) in Decatur, Illinois. If completed, Broadwing would mark one of the first commercial-scale natural gas plants in the U.S. to pair combined heat-and-power generation with carbon capture and dedicated geologic storage. The project also signals how corporate clean-energy buyers are expanding beyond renewable PPAs to back firm, low-carbon capacity—an emerging pillar of reliability as AI and data-center loads surge. Continue Reading #News #CHP #DataCenter

pv magazine Summary In Texas, a new kind of reliability standard is reshaping where data centers choose to build and how they power their operations. Under a “kill switch” law that was adopted earlier this year, utilities can forcibly disconnect large, noncritical industrial users like hyperscale data centers during grid emergencies to keep electricity flowing to the largest number of people. M ajor cloud players like Oracle are looking to shield their operations using onsite storage and generation. What that means in practice, however, is that a new method of data center siting is emerging, where the map is drawn around storage potential rather than just transmission lines. The general idea remains the same across state lines, but what it looks like in practice varies greatly. In California, for instance, ensuring steady access to power as quickly as possible means designing storage-backed microgrids that let a data center jump the queue and bypass long interconnection wait times. It’s more of a structural problem, though it’s one that makes traditional grid expansion nearly impossible at the pace AI-driven workloads demand. “Operators there are adopting islanded microgrids to bypass utility delays,” explained Roth. But, he cautioned, there’s also a political dimension. Continue Reading #News #DataCenter

Mobile Europe Summary But A2A reckons it has the energy increase covered, along with the grid, and it can innovate with waste heat Lombardy, has over 60 data centres active or in the process of being authorised. In Milan, recent investments include Banco Desio’s €4.5 million funding for a 100 MW data centre south of Milan and Retelit’s €350 million plan for three sites between Milan and Rome. Now, the chief executive of the largest utility in Lombardy A2A has claimed that the nation’s financial capital Milan is going to add 2 GW of data centre capacity over the next five years. In June 2025, A2A inaugurated Italy’s first liquid-cooled data centre connected directly to a district heating network, located at its Lamarmora plant in Brescia. Developed with French firm Qarnot, the facility recovers heat from high-performance computing operations at up to 65°C, allowing it to be supplied immediately to the city’s district heating system. Once fully operational, the project will deliver around 16 GWh of clean heat annually – enough to warm approximately 1,350 apartments – while avoiding an estimated 3,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. Continue Reading #News #DataCenter

Data Centre Magazine Summary Data centres are the backbone of the digital economy, but their rapid growth brings mounting environmental challenges. From energy-hungry AI workloads to water-intensive cooling, operators face pressure to cut carbon, conserve resources and design for long-term sustainability. The latest wave of green data centre innovation blends clean power sourcing, high-efficiency cooling, heat reuse and low-impact construction, setting new benchmarks for how critical infrastructure can expand while reducing its environmental footprint. Heat reuse is graduating from Nordic niche to mainstream design option. Capturing low-grade server heat for district networks or adjacent loads can materially improve whole-system carbon outcomes and local acceptance. In Finland, Microsoft’s new cluster is expected to provide roughly 40% of Espoo’s district heating when complete – an emblematic, grid-benefiting integration at city scale. Continue Reading #News #DataCenter #DistrictHeating

Urban Land Summary Data centers have a reputation for high energy use. EcoDataCenter 1 in Falun, Sweden, offers an alternate model: its two data centers, DCA and DCB, derive all of their power from nearby renewable energy sources; 75 percent comes from hydropower and 25 percent from wind. EcoDataCenter 1 also partners with the local energy providers, Falu Energi and Vatten, to transfer waste heat from the server halls to a nearby combined heat and power plant, where it can contribute to the manufacture of fuel pellets that keep local buildings warm in cold months and support industrial processes. Continue Reading #News #CHP

Clean Technica Summary Every data center is a heat opportunity. When a facility uses 100 MW of continuous power, the question naturally arises: could that same 100 MW of heat serve a purpose beyond the server hall? This opens the door to direct connection with modern district heating networks that no longer require steam-level temperatures. The physics of liquid heat transfer also mean smaller pumping energy and steadier control, which reduce losses. Continue Reading #News #DataCenter #DistrictHeating

T_HQ Summary A new whitepaper from climate finance company Opna calls for a fundamental redesign of how artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure is built, powered, and financed. The paper argues that the current hyperscale model—massive, resource-intensive data centres concentrated in a few regions—threatens to deepen global inequalities and strain vital resources such as water, land, and energy. Instead, the report proposes a shift to inference-first, modular, and distributed data centres – a model that aligns AI’s physical footprint with climate resilience and community prosperity. Properly designed, these “right-sized” facilities can anchor clean energy projects, stabilise grids, reuse waste heat and water, and drive demand for low-carbon materials and carbon removal. “Decentralised compute decentralises power,” said Shilpika Gautam, CEO and Founder of Opna. “By embracing modular, inference-first design, we can redirect the trillions flowing into AI infrastructure toward assets that strengthen both communities and the planet. AI infrastructure can and should become climate infrastructure.” The paper outlines seven principles for achieving this transition, including anchoring clean power, embedding circularity, advancing water stewardship, using low-carbon materials, and establishing binding community benefit agreements. It also calls for rigorous transparency in energy and water data, localised siting strategies, and policy frameworks that reward integration ...