OpenAI Stargate’s five-site expansion keeps the AI infrastructure race focused on executable gigawatts, while FERC’s June deadline on DOE’s large-load interconnection plan could define how data centers connect, pay, and navigate federal-state boundaries.

In this episode

1. OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank expand Stargate with five new AI data center sites — OpenAI

   # OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank expand Stargate with five new AI data center sites | OpenAI

[Skip to main content](https://openai.com/index/five-new-stargate-sites#main)

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* [Research](https://openai.com/research/index/)

* Products

* [Business](https://openai.com/business/)

* [Developers](https://openai.com/api/)

* [Company](https://openai.com/about/)

* …

Step Back — Stargate just named five more AI data-center sites — so how do we tell which of these are real, executable gigawatts versus land-banked options or narrative management? What documents or market signals should we trust most: interconnection status, utility tariffs, substation work, turbine orders, water permits, financing commitments, or something else?Background sources

• What the Michigan Stargate site says about today’s AI market | Latitude Media — Scott Clavenna
• The Rise of the Private Grid - by Tara Tan — Tara Tan
• Stargate, the AI data center project, is operational in Abilene TX — Lana Ferguson

FERC Sets June Action on DOE’s Large Load Interconnection Plan Putting Federal-State Boundaries at the Center of What Comes Next - Law Offices of Snell & Wilmer — Law Offices of Snell & Wilmer

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* [Media](https://www.swlaw.com/media/)

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## Publication

# FERC Sets June Action on DOE’s Large Load Interconnection Plan Putting Federal-State Boundaries at the Center of What Comes Next

Apr 21, 2026

By [Ryan J. Regula](https://www.swlaw.com/people/ryan_regula/)

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission…

Daily TopFive for The Data Center Daily. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate The Data Center Daily on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Feedback? Email [email protected].

Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta and Amazon’s AI capex is now a site-selection and power-underwriting problem, while Stargate’s “pay your own way” pledge exposes the enforceable grid question: who funds capacity, upgrades and backup when AI load lands?

In this episode

1. AI Infrastructure Capex in 2026: What Hyperscaler Spending Means ... — Build

   Product

Use Cases

Company

# AI Infrastructure Capex in 2026: What Hyperscaler Spending Means for Developers

AI infrastructure capex is becoming a real estate development cycle, not just a chip-buying cycle. This post explains how hyperscaler spending changes site selection, power strategy and underwriting for institutional developers.

by Build Team • May 8, 2026 • 5 min read

# AI…

Step Back — When OpenAI says Stargate will “pay its own way” for power, what would that have to mean in enforceable grid terms — take-or-pay contracts, upgrade deposits, curtailment rights, capacity obligations — and where could costs still leak back to ratepayers or the market?Background sources

• OpenAI Pledges To Foot Bill For Generating New Power For Stargate Data Centers — Dan Rabb, Data Centers
• OpenAI Pledges To Foot Bill For Generating New Power For Stargate Data Centers — Dan Rabb, Data Centers
• OpenAI Stopped Waiting for the Texas Grid. It's Building Three of Its Own. — Yair Titelboim
• The Megawatt Is Not the Asset - by Alex Lanin — Alex Lanin
• An outdated FERC policy is undermining the White House’s ratepayer protection pledge | Utility Dive — Ari Peskoe

Daily TopFive for The Data Center Daily. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate The Data Center Daily on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Feedback? Email [email protected].

Synergy Research Group pegs hyperscale capex at $142 billion in Q3, while NARUC’s FERC comments draw a hard state-jurisdiction line around large-load interconnection. The buildout is scaling faster than the permitting and cost-allocation machinery around it.

In this episode

1. [PDF] Interconnection of Large Loads to the Interstate Transmission ... — National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners

   1 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION Interconnection of Large Loads to the ) Docket No. RM26-4-000 Interstate Transmission System ) INITIAL COMMENTS OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REGULATORY UTILITY COMMISSIONERS The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (“NARUC”), respectfully submits these comments responding to the Federal Energy Regulatory…

2. Step Back — We usually count data center water risk as “gallons in,” but for AI-scale campuses with hybrid or liquid cooling, what actually comes out the other side — heat, chemicals, blowdown — and how well do today’s permits make that visible?Background sources
   • What’s in the water? What we know and don’t know about data center water discharge in Virginia • Virginia Mercury — Shannon Heckt
   • Water, air, and backup power: Permitting pinch points for AI facilities | Nixon Peabody LLP — Nixon Peabody LLP
   • Water-Related Permits for Data Centers | US EPA — US EPA
   • Ohio EPA reviewing draft permit to authorize limited increase in data center wastewater discharge | News, Sports, Jobs - Marietta Times — News, Sports, Jobs - Marietta Times
   • How Water and Wastewater Capacity Now Decide AI Data Center Sites — Datacenterknowledge
   • Regulating data center water use in California — Berkeley
   • State Regulation of Data Centers: Emerging Trends and Potential Legal Complexities — Wilmerhale
3. Hyperscale Spending Spree is Driving Dramatic Growth in Data Center Capacity | Synergy Research Group — Synergy Research Group

   ## Hyperscale Spending Spree is Driving Dramatic Growth in Data Center Capacity

RENO, NV, December 19, 2025

New Q3 data from Synergy Research Group shows that the number of large data centers operated by hyperscale providers has climbed to 1,297 worldwide, nearly tripling since early 2018. Over the same period, total operational capacity has increased more than fourfold as average data center…

Daily TopFive for The Data Center Daily. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate The Data Center Daily on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Feedback? Email [email protected].

PJM interconnection data shows 877 active load, generation and transmission requests totaling 102.79 GW, while a DOE-prompted FERC large-load proceeding raises the core question for data centers: who controls and pays for grid entry at hyperscale?

In this episode

1. Latest Active PJM Interconnection Queue Requests with daily data updates — Interconnection.fyi — Interconnection.fyi

   [Interconnection.fyi

Tracking U.S. ISO & utility interconnection queues](/)

[Email Alerts](https://interconnectionfyi.substack.com?ref=interconnection.fyi&utm_source=interconnection.fyi&utm_medium=referral)

[Data Centers](/data-center)

[GridTracker](/about-gridtracker)[Data center projects](/data-center)[Distribution grid (DG)…

DOE Directs FERC to Take Action on Large Load Interconnection | HUB | K&L Gates — K&L Gates



# DOE Directs FERC to Take Action on Large Load Interconnection






On 23 October 2025, Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris…

Daily TopFive for The Data Center Daily. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate The Data Center Daily on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Feedback? Email [email protected].

FERC large-load interconnection reform is the center of gravity: DOE’s push tests who pays for gigawatt-scale AI campuses, while Digital Realty and Equinix’s reported atNorth bids show capital chasing cooler, power-rich Nordic capacity.

In this episode

1. Secretary of Energy Directs FERC to Initiate Rulemaking to Expedite Data Center and Large Load Interconnection - Gibson Dunn — Gibson Dunn

   

Mobile Navigation

# Secretary of Energy Directs FERC to Initiate Rulemaking to Expedite Data Center and Large Load Interconnection

Client Alert  |  October 29, 2025

*The Secretary’s Direction included a proposed draft Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for FERC’s consideration, with a deadline for…

Step Back — Everyone keeps talking about FERC speeding up large-load interconnection, but isn’t the real accounting fight around hybrid campuses: when a data center shows up with behind-the-meter gas, batteries, or contracted supply, should the grid study the gross load, the net import, or the failure mode when that supply trips?Background sources

• Unpacking DOE's proposal to transform data center interconnection  | Latitude Media — Shayle Kann
• Bring Your Own Generation (BYOG): Accelerating the… | PA Consulting — PA Consulting
• Structuring Behind-the-Meter Generation to Manage FERC Jurisdiction - Davis Graham — Caroline Schorsch
• FirstEnergy asks FERC to require data centers to pay for transmission interconnection costs | Utility Dive — Ethan Howland
• The jurisdictional collision over large loads and data center interconnection | Energy Law Report — Sean Aasen
• This Week in Hyperscaling: DOE Offers FERC Two Flavors of "Co-Location" — Elizabeth K. Whitney
• An outdated FERC policy is undermining the White House’s ratepayer protection pledge | Utility Dive — Ari Peskoe
• From Rejection To National Rulemaking: The Federal Regulatory Framework For Data Center Power Is Taking Shape - Renewables - United States — RJ Colwell

Digital Realty and Equinix battle for atNorth for €4.5 billion - Techzine Global — Techzine

# Digital Realty and Equinix battle for atNorth for €4.5 billion



**Digital Realty and a consortium of Equinix and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board are both…

Daily TopFive for The Data Center Daily. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate The Data Center Daily on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Feedback? Email [email protected].

OpenAI, Oracle and Vantage’s Port Washington Stargate plan puts Wisconsin’s grid, water and transmission constraints under the microscope, alongside FERC’s large-load interconnection fight and PJM’s urgent speed-to-power problem.

In this episode

1. Data Center Cooling Water Discharge: Assessing Environmental Transparency and Information Gaps — UC Law Environmental Journal

   UC Law Environmental Journal UC Law Environmental Journal

Volume 32 Number 2 Article 4

5-13-2026

# Data Center Cooling Water Discharge: Assessing Environmental Data Center Cooling Water Discharge: Assessing Environmental

# Transparency and Information Gaps Transparency and Information Gaps

Katherine Kim

Follow this and additional works at: …

OpenAI, Oracle and Vantage Data Centers Announce Stargate Data Center Site in Wisconsin - Vantage Data Centers — Vantage Data Centers

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[Home](https://vantage-dc.com/) / OpenAI, Oracle and Vantage Data Centers Announce Stargate Data Center Site in Wisconsin

# OpenAI, Oracle and Vantage Data Centers Announce Stargate Data Center Site in Wisconsin

#### Vantage’s $15B+ investment…

FERC Large-Load Interconnection Preliminary Rulemaking: Key Takeaways for Data Center Developers, Other Large Load Projects, and Investors | Insights | Mayer Brown — Mayer Brown


# FERC Large-Load Interconnection Preliminary Rulemaking: Key Takeaways for Data Center Developers, Other Large Load Projects, and Investors

In late October 2025, at the direction of the Secretary of the US Department of…

PJM’s Speed to Power Problem and How to Fix It - RMI — RMI



Learn how we are working to transform how we use and produce energy.

# PJM’s Speed to Power Problem and How to Fix It

Overlooked interconnection improvements are key to alleviating PJM’s cost and capacity crises.

###

### Why we…

Step Back — With OpenAI, Oracle and Vantage now pointing Stargate at Wisconsin, what are the under-the-hood site-selection advantages there — ATC/MISO deliverability, generation mix, tax and permitting posture, water, fiber — and which of those are genuinely scarce versus just press-release gloss?Background sources

• OpenAI, Oracle and Vantage Data Centers Announce Stargate Data Center Site in Wisconsin - Vantage Data Centers — Vantage Dc
• OpenAI, Oracle and Vantage Data Centers Announce Stargate Data Center Site in Wisconsin — Digitalbridge
• Data center ‘extension cord’ draws landowners’ ire - E&E News by POLITICO — Jeffrey Tomich
• OpenAI, Oracle, and Vantage plan Stargate Wisconsin data center, expected to be 'close to a gigawatt' - DCD — Datacenterdynamics
• OpenAI Stargate: where the US sites stand — Elliot Stewart
• OpenAI, Oracle and Vantage Data Centers Announce Stargate Data Center Site in Wisconsin | Financial Post — Financial Post

Daily TopFive for The Data Center Daily. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate The Data Center Daily on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Feedback? Email [email protected].

FERC’s large-load interconnection docket has a June 2026 action marker, as state regulators press jurisdictional limits and Synergy Research shows hyperscale capacity nearly tripling since 2018. The buildout story is shifting from abstract AI demand to queues, tariffs, water and siting.

In this episode

1. FERC to Act on Large Load Interconnection Docket by June 2026 — Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

   # FERC to Act on Large Load Interconnection Docket by June 2026 | Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Skip to main content](https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/news/ferc-act-large-load-interconnection-docket-june-2026#main-content)

[FERC Federal Energy Regulatory…

[PDF] Interconnection of Large Loads to the Interstate Transmission ... — National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners

1 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION Interconnection of Large Loads to the ) Docket No. RM26-4-000 Interstate Transmission System ) INITIAL COMMENTS OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REGULATORY UTILITY COMMISSIONERS The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (“NARUC”), respectfully submits these comments responding to the Federal Energy Regulatory…

Step Back — With DOE now pushing FERC toward a large-load interconnection rule by mid-2026, what is the actual jurisdictional hook here — and how much of the data-center queue problem can FERC change before it runs into state siting authority, retail-service rules, and utility-by-utility dealmaking?Background sources

• FERC to Act on Large Load Interconnection Docket by June 2026 | Federal Energy Regulatory Commission — Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
• FERC Sets June Action on DOE’s Large Load Interconnection Plan Putting Federal-State Boundaries at the Center of What Comes Next - Law Offices of Snell & Wilmer — Swlaw
• DOE directs FERC to accelerate interconnection of data centers | White & Case LLP — White & Case LLP
• DOE large load interconnection proposal sparks federal-state jurisdiction concerns | Utility Dive — Ethan Howland
• FERC Sets June Deadline to Rewrite Large-Load Grid Rules for AI-Era Power Demand — Sonal C. Patel
• Faster Interconnections for Large Loads Are Coming: What to Know | Insights & Events | Bradley — Tonya L. Meier
• States are already working on solutions to large-load challenges | Utility Dive — Mark Christie

Hyperscale Spending Spree is Driving Dramatic Growth in Data Center Capacity | Synergy Research Group — Synergy Research Group

## Hyperscale Spending Spree is Driving Dramatic Growth in Data Center Capacity

RENO, NV, December 19, 2025

New Q3 data from Synergy Research Group shows that the number of large data centers operated by hyperscale providers has climbed to 1,297 worldwide, nearly tripling since early 2018. Over the same period, total operational capacity has increased more than fourfold as average data center…

Data centers and water - Project Finance NewsWire — Project Finance NewsWire


# Data centers and water

**July 14, 2025** |

By

[Rachel Rosenfeld](https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en-us/people/1016333) in Washington, DC,

[Scott Burton](https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en-us/people/1017946) in Los Angeles and Washington, DC

and

[Kayce Kasten…

Daily TopFive for The Data Center Daily. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate The Data Center Daily on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Feedback? Email [email protected].

ERCOT’s data-center queue has ballooned to 519 large-load requests in two years, sharpening fights at FERC and in Congress over who pays for AI-driven grid upgrades as Meta locks in new power and capacity deals.

In this episode

1. Texas grid slammed by 519 power-hungry AI data center requests in just two years — The Cool Down

   Texas grid slammed by 519 power-hungry AI data center requests in just two years

Photo Credit: iStock

Proposed AI data centers are poised to put a new kind of pressure on Texas' power system as their electricity needs climb, The Texas Tribune reported.

That potential demand is arriving as the grid has come under intense scrutiny in recent years.

### What's happening?

According to The…

‘Buckle up’: FERC, lawmakers grapple with data center costs - E&E News by POLITICO — POLITICO

‘Buckle up’: FERC, lawmakers grapple with data center costs - E&E News by POLITICO

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# ‘Buckle up’: FERC, lawmakers grapple with data center costs

Speakers at POLITICO’s Energy Summit pressed for more government action to ensure utility ratepayers don’t bear the costs of an energy-intensive AI boom.

Federal Energy Regulatory…

RWE secures Meta PPA on 298-MW Texas solar project — Solar Power World

# RWE secures Meta PPA on 298-MW Texas solar project

Author: Billy Ludt

Published: 2026-06-11T16:52:58+00:00

Source: solarpowerworldonline.com (solarpowerworldonline.com)

Language: en

## Story

RWE secures Meta PPA on 298-MW Texas solar project

RWE and Meta have arranged a long-term corporate power purchase agreement (PPA) for the electricity generated by the 298-MWAC Rabbit’s Foot Solar…

Reliance, Meta Partner to Build AI-Enabled Data Centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat — TelecomTalk

Reliance, Meta Partner to Build AI-Enabled Data Centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat

×

### Highlights

- Reliance and Meta have partnered to develop a 168 MW AI-enabled data centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat.

- The facility will be Meta's first built-to-suit data centre in India.

- Reliance will provide end-to-end services, from design and construction to operations and utility management.

Live

#### Hardik…

NVIDIA's First Co-Packaged Optics Switch Lands at Lambda, Cutting 3kW Per Rack and Freeing Power for 3,137 Extra GPUs — Wccftech

# NVIDIA's First Co-Packaged Optics Switch Lands at Lambda, Cutting 3kW Per Rack and Freeing Power for 3,137 Extra GPUs

Author: Hassan Mujtaba

Published: 2026-06-11T09:05:13+00:00

Source: wccftech.com (wccftech.com)

Language: en

## Story

NVIDIA's First Co-Packaged Optics Switch Lands at Lambda, Cutting 3kW Per Rack and Freeing Power for 3,137 Extra GPUs

# NVIDIA’s First Co-Packaged Optics…

Daily TopFive for The Data Center Daily. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate The Data Center Daily on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Feedback? Email [email protected].

Texas ERCOT and Ohio lawmakers are pushing data centers toward paying more of their grid, tax, water and local-cost burden, while Meta’s 168 MW Reliance deal shows AI capacity demand still scaling globally.

In this episode

1. Ohio lawmakers introduce sweeping new data center legislation - Route Fifty — Route Fifty

   Ohio lawmakers introduce sweeping new data center legislation - Route Fifty

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By Nick Evans, Ohio Capital Journal

By Nick Evans, Ohio Capital Journal

| June 10, 2026 12:00 PM ET

## It’s a significant revision of state policy, touching on tax breaks, nondisclosure agreements, water use and testing, utility…

Abbott wants data centers fully funding electric needs — KXAN

Abbott wants data centers fully funding electric needs

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — In a letter to the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), Gov. Greg Abbott called for immediate action that would ensure Texans do not pay the price of connecting data centers to the state’s electric grid.

“The rapid scale of data center development requires…

Meta taps RIL for AI data centre capacity - The Times of India — The Times of India

Meta taps RIL for AI data centre capacity - The Times of India

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NEW DELHI: Meta has signed its first artificial intelligence data centre deal in India,…

Brattle Experts Examine the Potential Impacts of Large Loads on Transmission Investment Needs and Electricity Prices in Iowa and Wisconsin - Brattle — Brattle

Brattle Experts Examine the Potential Impacts of Large Loads on Transmission Investment Needs and Electricity Prices in Iowa and Wisconsin - Brattle

In a recent white paper commissioned by Alliant Energy, Brattle energy experts identify system conditions, ratemaking approaches, and contractual structures that utilities can leverage to address electricity affordability concerns related to demand…

DEQ meeting about data center discharge water into Lake Anna tributaries turns contentious — WHSV

DEQ meeting about data center discharge water into Lake Anna tributaries turns contentious

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LOUISA, Va. (WWBT) - Amazon Web Services is seeking permission from the Department of Environmental Quality to release treated water from its data centers into Louisa County’s natural water sources.

The requested Virginia Pollutant Discharge…

Daily TopFive for The Data Center Daily. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate The Data Center Daily on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Feedback? Email [email protected].

Broadcom disclosed roughly $164.6 billion of firm obligations that include a new custom AI accelerator contract, plus a $29 billion lease backstop for AI racks. Meanwhile, Memphis and New York are turning water, land and permitting into harder gates for data center growth.

In this episode

1. Broadcom disclosed a long-term custom AI accelerator contract inside firm remaining performance obligations of approximately $164.6 billion. — U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

   Broadcom disclosed a long-term custom AI accelerator contract inside firm remaining performance obligations of approximately $164.6 billion.

For AI compute suppliers and capacity planners, the filing attaches disclosed scale and a revenue-recognition window to custom accelerator demand beyond current-period shipments.

Broadcom has firm multi-year obligations that include a custom AI accelerator…

Broadcom arranged an investor-partner structure for AI racks based on its custom AI accelerators and agreed to backstop the customer’s lease obligations, with maximum exposure of $29 billion. — U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

Broadcom arranged an investor-partner structure for AI racks based on its custom AI accelerators and agreed to backstop the customer’s lease obligations, with maximum exposure of $29 billion.

This puts Broadcom in the financing and risk stack for AI compute capacity, not just the silicon supply chain.

The AI rack model disclosed in the filing uses lease obligations and an investor partner;…

Step Back — As FERC and the RTOs start carving out faster, conditional paths for massive data center loads, where is the line between legitimate flexible service and queue-jumping that shifts transmission risk onto other customers?Background sources

• FERC approves SPP non-firm, large load transmission service | Utility Dive — Ethan Howland
• Large Energy Users Want Power. Here’s How to Protect Other Ratepayers from the Costs. - RMI — Rmi
• From Rejection to National Rulemaking: The Federal Regulatory Framework for Data Center Power Is Taking Shape - Davis Graham — Caroline Schorsch
• FERC Grapples With Surging Reliability and Interconnection Demands From Data Centers — Orrick
• FERC Directs Nation’s Largest Grid Operator to Create New Rules to Embrace Innovation and Protect Consumers | Federal Energy Regulatory Commission — Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
• The Emerging Regulatory Framework to Power Data Centers — Pillsburylaw

City could take back land if xAI doesn't finish greywater facility — WREG

City could take back land if xAI doesn't finish greywater facility

xAI’s Colossus supercomputer site in southwest Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — City leaders feel “pretty positive” that xAI — now part of SpaceX — will finish construction that stalled on a greywater recycling facility to cool their supercomputer in southwest Memphis.

But if they don’t, the city’s chief legal officer says they have…

New York may temporarily freeze new large data centers - TechInformed — TechInformed

New York may temporarily freeze new large data centers - TechInformed

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# New York may temporarily freeze new large data centers

The bill would pause new DEC approvals for 20 MW-plus data centers and shift more infrastructure, energy and water costs onto large facilities

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New York lawmakers have passed the Responsible Data Center…

Daily TopFive for The Data Center Daily. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate The Data Center Daily on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Feedback? Email [email protected].