New coal-fired generation has been effectively off the table in the U.S. for more than a decade. The TerraSpark Energy Campus is testing whether that’s still true. The DOE’s selection of the Grant County, West Virginia, project for up to $18.5 million in development funding is a notable signal that surging electricity demand—driven by data...
Meta Launches ‘Workforce Academy’ to Train Workers to Build Data Centers
Forget about learning to code. Meta says it’s time to pick up a wrench. The company is starting a “workforce academy” to train Americans to build its data centers as skilled trade workers become a sought-after commodity. The five-week training program, in partnership with CBRE and the Associated Builders and Contractors, is free of charge and guarantees graduates a job at...
Google pushes water standards amid data center backlash
Facing mounting scrutiny over data center water consumption, Google on Wednesday released a set of guidelines it says should become the industry standard. Why it matters: Communities across the U.S. are increasingly pushing back against new data centers, often citing concerns about water use alongside rising power prices, local air pollution and noise. Read more in...
To recover endangered species, invest in plants
A secret to recovering high numbers of endangered and threatened species lies with the most overlooked among them: plants. Although endangered plants have historically received significantly less investment than endangered animals, 74% of recoveries in the last 5 years have been plants. Simply put, the Endangered Species Act is working for plants to a degree that it isn’t...
O’Leary: Many mega-data center concerns in Utah based on ‘misinformation,’ ‘lies’
Millionaire investor Kevin O’Leary dismissed mounting opposition to his massive AI data center proposal in Utah as “ridiculous” and accused China of helping to fuel a smear campaign against his Stratos project. “I think a lot of those concerns are based on misinformation and just straight-out lies,” O’Leary said in an interview with NewsNation’s “The Hill” late Tuesday. The proposed development in the...
California’s new plastic recycling rules spark fights from all sides
California just gave plastic producers until 2032 to make all their packaging recyclable or compostable — the most ambitious deadline in the country. Advocates say it doesn’t go far enough. Producers say it goes too far. At least one of them is threatening to sue. The sweeping regulations, finalized at the start of the month,...
America Can’t Build Fast Enough. Judicial Review Reform Can Help
To remain competitive on the global stage, the United States needs more energy infrastructure, and we need it sooner than our current system allows. New data centers, a resurgence in American manufacturing and emerging technologies are critical for growth but demand more power. We need more generation and transmission, stronger supply chains and faster deployment...
Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern rail merger puts America first
Drew Bond writes in the Washington Examiner about the rail merger and strengthening supply chains. As Washington debates how to strengthen supply chains, lower costs, and stay competitive with China, one of the most consequential infrastructure decisions in years is receiving far too little attention. The Surface Transportation Board will soon decide whether to approve the merger between...
Wisconsin town revolts against a Trump-backed data center project
A small Wisconsin city upended by a data center backed by President Donald Trump is set to vote Tuesday on a referendum that could reshape grassroots resistance to AI projects nationwide. The vote in Port Washington, a lakeside town of roughly 12,000 people just north of Milwaukee, appears to be the first time any U.S....
These states don’t want data centers in their backyards
Data centers have become a boxy, hulking flashpoint heading into the midterms — and the backlash is spreading fast across red and blue states. Why it matters: With no federal action, states are fielding constituent anger over power grids, water supplies and strained local infrastructure. But investment keeps accelerating; Wall Street isn’t slowing down, and neither is...







