Power generation surged for the second year amid a struggle to power AI data centers.

Google has secured supply deals with AES and Xcel to meet the substantial energy demands of its data centers, ensuring sustainable power for its operations.

Malaysia is implementing restrictions on non-AI data centers due to looming power supply issues, aiming to manage energy consumption.

Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, India, has signed Memorandums of Understanding worth Rs 20,000 crore with Singapore firms for investments in data centers, green energy, and logistics parks.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that Malaysia will only permit data centers to be established if they provide clear benefits to the country.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has publicly stated his view that the concept of space data centers is currently 'ridiculous,' indicating a skepticism about their near-term feasibility.

Amazon is reportedly planning a significant $12 billion investment to build out data centers in Louisiana.

The ‘Godfather of Data Centers’ Making Offers Big Tech Can’t Refuse  WSJ

The ‘Godfather of Data Centers’ Making Offers Big Tech Can’t Refuse - WSJ  The Wall Street Journal

A news digest covers several topics including the rescheduling of India-US trade talks, discussions around AI data centers, and Pakistan's recent strikes in Afghanistan.

A prominent figure in the data center industry, dubbed the 'Godfather of Data Centers,' is reportedly making irresistible offers to major tech companies.

A Wall Street Journal article profiles the individual known as the 'Godfather of Data Centers' and his significant influence on big tech companies.

Republicans and Democrats in state capitols across the country agree on some things when it comes to regulating Artificial Intelligence and data centers.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has publicly criticized the concept of space data centers, labeling them 'ridiculous' due to prohibitive launch costs and unresolved cooling challenges. His comments challenge the ambitious orbital computing plans of figures like Elon Musk, Google, and Jeff Bezos.

How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers  The Wall Street Journal

OpenAI and SpaceX could have massive IPOs this year. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Fabrice COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images Elon Musk's SpaceX wants to launch satellites that act as data centers into space. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said placing data centers in space isn't feasible right now. He called the idea "ridiculous" during an event in New Delhi. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman famously don't agree on much. The latest point of contention: data centers in space. Musk has made...

Data centers are increasingly exploring the use of jet engine technology for power generation, as highlighted by a Wall Street Journal report on their efficiency and a podcast discussing the implications of data centers in local communities.

WSJ Podcasts discusses the increasing presence of data centers in local communities, while Bloomberg highlights that water consumption by these centers remains an afterthought.

Big Tech Is Buying Up America’s Land—and Home Builders Can’t Compete  The Wall Street Journal

A Wall Street Journal podcast, 'Tech News Briefing,' delves into the topic of data centers and their local impact.

A recent episode of The Wall Street Journal's Tech News Briefing podcast delves into the topic of local data centers and their implications.

A new report explores the growing presence of data centers and their implications for local communities and infrastructure.

A WSJ podcast discusses the implications and presence of data centers in local communities, exploring their impact on technology and daily life.

New A.I. sites are projected to drive up power bills, prompting discussions on potential solutions to mitigate the impact.

Google executives meet with officials at a Google data center in Midlothian, Texas. Fortune via Reuters Connect Northern Virginia is home to the world's largest data center market. That could soon change, as Big Tech ramps up data center construction across the US. West Texas, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Ohio are emerging as key markets. The old saying "Everything is bigger in Texas" now applies to data centers. The Lone Star State is on track to unseat Virginia as the world's largest data center market by 2030, new research from Jones Lang LaSalle shows. The shift indicates how drastically the data center development boom has reshaped the US's digital infrastructure map and the landscape as a whole. Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Meta plan to spend more than $600 billion on AI infrastructure expansion in 2026 — a number so dizzyingly high that Wall Street is on high alert for signs of an AI bubble. More than half of all data center construction in the US now happens outside the industry's traditional hubs, according to JLL's North America Data Center Report — Year-End 2025. Tennessee, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Texas are now considered the top emerging markets for data centers. Texas alone has 6.5 gigawatts of data center capacity under construction. That amount of power is roughly equivalent to more than three Hoover Dams or over 17,000 Tesla Model 3s when using the US Department of Energy's standard, and it accounts for about one-fifth of the 35 gigawatts of data center capacity the US added to its pipeline. That 35 gigawatts is roughly equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of the UK or Italy, and adding it would nearly double the existing data center capacity in the US, according to JLL. Part of Texas's appeal is its sprawl. The state houses some of the most ambitious data center projects in the country. Oracle and OpenAI's flagship Stargate data center is in Abilene, Google is planning a $40 billion expansion in West Texas, and Meta is building a massive new site in El Paso, just to name a few. Texas also has abundant energy resources, which is good news for data center developers. The AI boom has driven electricity demand to new heights and strained the nation's power grid. In Texas, several data centers — including Stargate — are being built alongside on-site power plants. Northern Virginia has been the data center industry's central hub for more than 15 years, going back to the early days of cloud computing. That has changed rapidly as Big Tech spreads out across the country in search of available power, cheap land, and the best tax incentive packages for the coming wave of AI data centers. Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at ethomas@businessinsider.com or on Signal at 929-524-6964. Read the original article on Business Insider

Meta is significantly boosting its partnership with Nvidia, securing millions of the chipmaker's latest processors for its data centers. This extensive deal, covering both AI training and inference, also includes Nvidia's CPUs, traditionally Intel and AMD's territory. The move consolidates Meta's AI infrastructure, potentially impacting competitors and simplifying vendor management.

OGE Energy aims for 5%–7% EPS growth through 2028, fueled by long-term investments in transmission and increasing demand from data centers.

Oracle Corporation's stock declined due to investor concerns regarding the company's debt-fueled expansion into AI data centers.

How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers  The Wall Street Journal

Voters are expressing strong opposition to AI data centers due to concerns over high electricity costs, fossil fuel pollution, excessive water usage, and job displacement.

Land Grab for Data Centers Is One More Obstacle to Much-Needed Housing  The Wall Street Journal

The increasing demand for land to build data centers is creating an additional obstacle to the development of much-needed housing.

Land Grab for Data Centers Is One More Obstacle to Much-Needed Housing  The Wall Street Journal

Investors Overreacting To Starlink's Threat To Traditional Telcos; Goldman Says Talk of space-based data centers has suddenly become a major conversation on Wall Street. One key driver is Elon Musk's merger of SpaceX with his AI venture, xAI, aiming to eventually build "orbital data centers" at scale. With a potential IPO later this year, the space industry - first in low-Earth orbit, then on the moon - will be center stage for years to come. Goldman analysts, led by Andrew Lee, hosted a webcast titled "Space - Datacentres Opportunity and Telecom Risk," featuring Justin Hotchkiss (Associate Partner), Gregor Eichler (Principal), and Federico Torri (Partner) from TMT consultancy Altman Solon. The webcast conversation looked ahead to a future in which space-based data centers could become a reality. Goldman's telecom analysts and tech consultants discussed two major ideas: Space data centers: Not yet deployed, but could become a reality in the near term. The advantages are low-cost solar power in space, easier cooling, no property costs, and no permitting issues. One big hurdle is the need for cheaper rocket launch costs and a lightweight cooling system. If launches drop below $200/kg and cooling hardware is very light, the cost could start to look similar to building on Earth. Satellite connectivity for telecoms: It already exists, but investors are overreacting to the idea that satellites will "replace" traditional telcos. Satellites (especially LEO networks like Starlink) have limited capacity, variable service quality, and challenging economics for serving many everyday urban customers. They're most useful where building cell towers or fiber is expensive: rural, sparsely populated, higher-income areas. Think of Starlink and other LEO networks as complementary to telecoms. A major technological leap is underway in space-based communications. Data centers in space are likely to become a reality within this decade, thanks to SpaceX's Starship rocket. Goldman's webcast suggests that Starlink and other LEO constellations should be more complementary than competitive to telcos for the foreseeable future. Lee noted: In the longer term, space data centres appear an increasingly likely reality. More relevant today, our conversation suggests the extent of investor concerns on satellite competition to telecoms and towercos are overstated - as we wrote in our 2025 satellite/telco report. Satellite technology is more likely to be complementary rather than competitive to telcos due to satellite capacity constraints, service quality restrictions, and inferior economics for the majority of geographies. Telcos can leverage satellites to extend their own network coverage into rural areas where terrestrial build-out is costly. Investing world impacts: This would imply modest downside risk to towerco growth if rural connectivity is partially rerouted via satellites. For towercos including Cellnex and INWIT, some of this satellite risk is already priced into their shares, but we do not see a catalyst for a re-rating in the near term. For telcos including TMUS (majority owned by DT), where satellite risk to its broadband growth has pressured the share price, we see scope for a rerating as investor concerns over satellite risk abate over time and ongoing consensus upgrades continue. We retain our bullish view on European telcos as laid out in our recent report - select Buy ideas include BT, Nordics, DT, KPN. We outline our key takeaways from the satellite webcast below. The big question is: At what point does Starlink start to challenge them directly? Professional subscribers can read the full note on our new Marketdesk.ai portal​​​​. Tyler Durden Tue, 02/17/2026 - 11:40

Vinod Khosla says stock prices aren't the way to evaluate AI bubbles. Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu via Getty Images Vinod Khosla says the rise of AI might warrant steeper taxes on capital and none for most workers. The billionaire VC wrote on X that AI displacing workers could shrink the labor part of the economy. Khosla wrote that some popular tax breaks were "special interest goodies" and not "true capitalism." If artificial intelligence eliminates millions of jobs, it might make sense to scrap income taxes for the vast majority of Americans and target capital instead, Vinod Khosla says. "AI will transform economies and need a rethink of capitalism & equity," the billionaire venture capitalist wrote in an X post on Monday. "Labor portion of economy (vs capital) will decline sharply. Should we eliminate preferential treatment of capital gains tax and equalize to ordinary income?" Khosla — who cofounded Sun Microsystems and made the first VC investment in OpenAI — was making the point that AI replacing labor on a grand scale might warrant greater taxes on assets such as stocks and real estate. The veteran financier, who founded Khosla Ventures after leaving Kleiner Perkins, attached a video highlighting some of the jobs that could be taken by AI, from accountants and therapists to truck drivers and chip designers. AI will transform economies and need a rethink of capitalism & equity. Labor portion of economy (vs capital) will decline sharply. Should we eliminate preferential treatment of capital gains tax and equalize to ordinary income? 40% of capital gains taxes are paid by those with… pic.twitter.com/7oSA9xj5Ko — Vinod Khosla (@vkhosla) February 16, 2026 Khosla said in a follow-up post that ramping up taxes on capital would generate so much revenue that the government could scrap taxes for most of the roughly 150 million US taxpayers. "Could easily eliminate bottom 125 million taxpayers from the tax rolls and be revenue neutral at the same time with a capital gains tax equal to ordinary income and a few other tweaks," he wrote. He added that tax breaks such as carrying over tax losses and tax-free borrowing against unrealized gains — which he called a "true abuse!" — are "special interest goodies inserted by lobbyists and campaign contributions, not true capitalism." Khosla didn't address common critiques of higher taxes, including that they can discourage entrepreneurship and investment, that collecting them can be tricky, and that wealthy people may leave the country to avoid them. Khosla has previously underscored that the advent of AI may require sweeping policy changes. He estimated in late 2024 that in 25 years' time, AI could be doing 80% of the work in 80% of all jobs, and universal basic income might be needed to compensate for job destruction. "As AI reduces the need for human labor, UBI could become crucial, with governments playing a key role in regulating AI's impact and ensuring equitable wealth distribution," he wrote on his firm's website. Khosla isn't alone in predicting AI will change the fabric of society. Elon Musk suggested late last year that work could become "optional" and money might become "irrelevant" if advances in AI and robotics generate abundant resources for all. Moreover, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO recently said that retirement savings may not be needed in 10 or 20 years, as everyone might have "whatever stuff they want." However, skeptics such as Michael Burry of "The Big Short" fame have cautioned the AI boom is a speculative bubble, tech companies are overinvesting in microchips and data centers that will quickly become obsolete, and true AI is further away than many think. Read the original article on Business Insider

Former SpaceX employees have raised $50 million to fund a new venture focused on developing optical technology for data centers.

The surge in AI development is leading to innovative solutions for powering data centers, including the use of jet engine technology, and significant investments in memory infrastructure to support AI's demands.

How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers  The Wall Street Journal

How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers  The Wall Street Journal

How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers  The Wall Street Journal

How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers  The Wall Street Journal

As electricity costs climb, there's growing pressure for data centers to contribute more to cover these expenses, raising questions about how this will be implemented.

A former Trump trade adviser has indicated that a future administration might compel data center developers, such as Meta, to absorb the rising costs associated with their energy consumption and infrastructure strain.

Ford Motor Company plans to expand its battery manufacturing beyond vehicles, targeting large batteries for utilities, data centers, and other businesses.

French real estate developer Altarea is partnering with US giant Vantage Data Centers to develop 15 data centers by 2030, aiming to become a leader in the data center market amidst a real estate crisis.

Malaysia has frozen the development of new data centers not used for artificial intelligence, citing concerns over power and water resources, according to Prime Minister Anwar.

Samsung Electronics and Corning are entering a new phase of their partnership, driven by the increasing demand for optical fiber used in AI data centers.

Spain's electrical grid is experiencing an "overbooking" crisis, with Red Eléctrica and distributors granting more network access capacity than is actually available, potentially leaving new homes, industries, and data centers without supply.

Local protests against data centers and Flock camera surveillance are drawing support from across the political spectrum.

A profile of an individual dubbed the 'Godfather of Data Centers' who is making offers that major tech companies find hard to refuse, highlighting his influence in the industry.

A figure dubbed the 'Godfather of Data Centers' is reportedly making compelling offers to major tech companies, as detailed by The Wall Street Journal.

A Wall Street Journal article profiles a prominent figure in the data center industry, dubbed the 'Godfather of Data Centers,' who is reportedly making irresistible offers to major tech companies.

Data centers are seeking credit ratings to secure billions in funding for AI infrastructure projects, with agencies rapidly rating debt for projects under construction.

The ‘Godfather of Data Centers’ Making Offers Big Tech Can’t Refuse - WSJ  The Wall Street Journal

Democrats and Republicans in state legislatures across the United States are finding common ground on the need to regulate artificial intelligence and data centers.

How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers  The Wall Street Journal

Consultancy firms are projected to experience their fastest growth in years, fueled by the artificial intelligence boom as companies seek advice on powering data centers and profiting from AI.

VivoPower has successfully secured $30 million in funding to develop AI data centers.

How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers  The Wall Street Journal

Data centers are exploring innovative power solutions, including jet engine technology, while also facing scrutiny over their local impact and integration into communities.

Discussions are ongoing regarding the impact of Greek bureaucracy on the Italian olive oil plan, alongside other economic and political topics.

A WSJ podcast, 'Tech News Briefing,' delves into the topic of data centers and their local impact, titled 'The Data Center Next Door.'

A WSJ podcast discusses the implications and presence of data centers in local communities, offering insights into the growing infrastructure of the digital age.

The Wall Street Journal's Tech News Briefing podcast delves into the topic of data centers and their local impact.

A WSJ podcast discusses the growing presence of data centers in local communities, exploring the implications and impact of these facilities.

India's Adani Group plans a massive $100 billion investment in AI data centers, forging strategic partnerships with tech giants Google and Microsoft.

Tech companies are building data centers with their own private power plants, a risky bet that will increase carbon emissions and other pollution.

Iren Limited is identified as a buy due to its strategic shift from Bitcoin mining to data centers, while Cipher Mining Inc. benefits from strong analyst support and funding.

Nikita Bier said that Elon Musk's X was "essentially operating like a startup." Marc Piasecki/Getty Images Want to work for one of Elon Musk's companies? Expect small, flat teams. X product head Nikita Bier compared his experience at X to past jobs at Meta and Discord on the "Out of Office" podcast. Bier said that Musk holds "weekly reviews" of one or two slides with every X engineer. One of Elon Musk's lieutenants at X is sharing what it's like to work in the trenches with him. There are some trademarks of a Musk company, whether it be Tesla, SpaceX, or xAI. His teams are flat, his schedule is jam-packed, and his expectations are high. In the lead-up to a big launch, expect to grind out some long hours. X's head of product, Nikita Bier, recently opened up about working under Musk on the "Out of Office" podcast, contrasting it with his past work at Silicon Valley staples like Discord and Meta. Bier described a "very flat organization" with lots of individual contributors reporting directly to Musk himself. There are very few managers, Bier said. "Everyone has an incredible amount of agency," Bier said. "We come up with an idea, we build it in a week, and it's out." Bier also said that Musk was "deep in the weeds." That's a feat for an executive who runs multiple companies (and once a government agency) at the same time. "He does weekly reviews basically with every engineer at the company," Bier said. "You have one or two slides, you present what you got done that week, he gives feedback." While some social media commenters expressed skepticism that every engineer received a weekly review, Musk is clearly hands-on — as evidenced by another xAI employee's podcast appearance. Sulaiman Ghori worked on xAI's Macrohard team. He described flat teams, few managers — and a wager between Musk and an employee on how quickly he could set up a rack of GPUs. The employee won himself a Cybertruck. (Ghori, who also talked about the company's "carnival company" permit workaround for building data centers, announced he was no longer at xAI four days after the podcast was published.) Bier also described a lean but efficient team that had "like 30 core product engineers." "The size of the engineering team is equivalent to a feature when I worked at Facebook," Bier said. "It's essentially operating like a startup." On X, one user asked whether these 30 employees were on the product or design team. Bier responded: "Engineers, 2 designers, 1.5 product managers and me." It's difficult to compare engineering team sizes to the pre-Musk Twitter days — or even discern which "core" team Bier is referencing. After six months of ownership, Musk cut Twitter's staff by 90%. Five hundred engineers remained at the time. What Bier didn't realize before working with Musk, he said, was that the executive will "always do the hard things." Consumer product builders are often looking for quick wins, Bier said. Musk chooses the most important — and difficult — thing to do, he said, from rebuilding the algorithm to building data centers. That also means: Don't expect a lazy Friday at X. "Every morning, every day, there's a new crisis," Bier said. "I'll just open my phone and be like: 'Oh my god.'" Read the original article on Business Insider

India's Adani Group has committed a billion dollars towards the development of data centers, signaling a significant expansion in the digital infrastructure sector.

How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers  The Wall Street Journal

Land Grab for Data Centers Is One More Obstacle to Much-Needed Housing  The Wall Street Journal

How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers  The Wall Street Journal

Starboard Value has increased its holdings in Kenvue and Riot Platforms, signaling confidence in these companies.

DTE Energy has outlined a 6%-8% EPS growth target through 2030 and expanded its capital plan by $6.5 billion due to increasing data center contracts.

Ormat has signed a 150 MW geothermal power agreement with NV Energy, which will supply power to Google's operations in Nevada.

Adani Group has committed $100 billion to develop AI data centers, aiming to bolster India's position in the global AI race.

How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers  The Wall Street Journal

How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers  The Wall Street Journal

How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers  The Wall Street Journal

How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers  The Wall Street Journal

How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers  The Wall Street Journal

Industrial firms are exploring ways to upgrade their data centers, recognizing that improvements in these 'boiler rooms' of AI can significantly boost artificial intelligence capabilities.

An overview provides insights into the future of commercial real estate, including data centers, office buildings, and retail, looking ahead to 2026.

Alcoa's CEO announced that the company is looking to sell 10 closed or curtailed sites, potentially to data center operators.

Elon Musk and China's main space contractor are reportedly in a race to establish artificial intelligence computing centers in space, leveraging solar power for cost advantages.

Deutsche Bank believes BorgWarner Inc.'s strategic shift towards data centers has the potential to unlock a re-rating for the company.

Former President Trump is reportedly seeking commitments from tech executives to cover the costs associated with data centers.

US Dominates Global Data Center Population Data centers power everything from streaming and cloud storage to the AI systems reshaping industries. When it comes to scale, one country stands far ahead. The U.S. has 3,960 data centers in this dataset - more than the next 14 countries combined. The map below, via Visual Capitalist's Niccolo Conte, based on data from Data Center Map, counts operational facilities by country, from small cloud hubs to sprawling colocation campuses. Whi...

Amazon is reportedly planning a significant investment of $12 billion for the construction and expansion of data centers in Louisiana.

The ‘Godfather of Data Centers’ Making Offers Big Tech Can’t Refuse  WSJ

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has sought to mitigate criticism regarding the environmental impact of AI data centers, comparing the energy consumption of machines to human biological metabolism.

The rapid expansion of data centers is creating a significant earnings windfall for companies that manufacture power-related equipment and infrastructure.

Τα data centers της Τεχνητής Νοημοσύνης επεκτείνονται με πρωτοφανείς ρυθμούς, οι ανάγκες σε ηλεκτρική ενέργεια αυξάνονται κατακόρυφα και οι κυβερνήσεις καλούνται να διαχειριστούν ένα νέο ενεργειακό κα

Virginia Democrats' proposed budget includes ending the tax exemption for data centers.

Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI, is reportedly violating clean air laws by powering its data centers with unauthorized gas turbines, leading to excessive pollution.

An aerial view of a 33 megawatt data center with a closed-loop cooling system on October 20, 2025, in Vernon, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images This post originally appeared in the BI Today newsletter. You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here. Looking ahead The data center boom crept up on America, and we were ready. Business Insider jumped on the topic nearly two years ago, and this past week we won a George Polk Award for our work, which included a first-of-its-kind ...

How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers  The Wall Street Journal

The Data Center Next Door - Tech News Briefing - WSJ Podcasts  The Wall Street Journal

Corning's stock rises as UBS reports stronger demand signals from hyperscale data centers.

Big Tech companies are increasingly buying up land, making it difficult for home builders to compete and driving up property costs.

A WSJ podcast, 'Tech News Briefing,' delves into the topic of local data centers and their implications.

A Wall Street Journal podcast, 'Tech News Briefing,' delves into the topic of local data centers and their implications, titled 'The Data Center Next Door.'

A recent episode of The Wall Street Journal's Tech News Briefing podcast delves into the topic of data centers and their increasing proximity to communities.

A WSJ podcast, 'Tech News Briefing,' delves into the topic of 'The Data Center Next Door,' discussing the implications and developments surrounding data centers.

VivoPower has announced executive departures as the company shifts its strategy towards data centers.

Crusoe and Energy Vault have announced a partnership to deploy modular data centers, indicating a collaboration in infrastructure development.

Quantum is advancing rapidly, sparking discussions about how the powerful computers will integrate with industries like the already booming data center sector.

Big Tech Turns To Uranium As Data Center Power Demand Soars Big Tech is considering supporting new uranium mining projects as companies need additional reliable power capacity for their huge data center expansion, according to the top executive of Canadian uranium miner NexGen Energy.      “It's coming. You've seen it with automakers. These tech companies, they're under an obligation to ensure the hundreds of billions that they are investing in the data centres are going to be powered,” NexGen Energy’s CEO Leigh Curyer said at a Melbourne Mining Club luncheon on Wednesday, as carried by Reuters. As OilPrice reports, NexGen Energy, which is developing Canada’s largest uranium project, Rook I in Saskatchewan, has held early talks with technology companies over potential financing from data center developers, Curyer said.    The uranium developer has also discussed long-term uranium supply with data center firms. Yet, potential funding or supply deals will not involve any changes to the control of NexGen Energy, the chief executive told Reuters.   Global electricity demand increased by 3% annually in 2025, following growth of 4.4% in 2024, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its recent Electricity 2026 report. Between 2026 and 2030, the annual average growth rate would be 3.6%, driven by higher consumption from industry, electric vehicles (EVs), air conditioning, and data centers, according to the agency. Artificial intelligence, data centers, and advanced manufacturing support the return to growth in power demand in advanced economies, the IEA said. U.S. electricity demand rose by 2.1% in 2025 and is expected to grow by nearly 2% annually through 2030. The rapid expansion of data centers will drive half of the increase, the agency noted.  The U.S. is backing nuclear power generation to help meet rising electricity demand. Nuclear energy will be one of the winners of the U.S. AI and data center boom, as Microsoft and other hyperscalers have been looking to purchase zero-carbon electricity to power up their data centers, which are consuming growing amounts of electricity.      Tyler Durden Wed, 02/18/2026 - 11:45

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has raised concerns about the growing electricity demands of artificial intelligence, suggesting the need for space-based data centers, to which Elon Musk humorously responded by referencing his own company.

How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers  The Wall Street Journal

The increasing demand for data centers is leading to a land grab, posing a significant obstacle to the development of much-needed housing.

Land Grab for Data Centers Is One More Obstacle to Much-Needed Housing  The Wall Street Journal

The increasing demand for land to build data centers is creating an additional obstacle to addressing much-needed housing, intensifying competition for real estate.

Mississippi is conducting a hearing regarding a proposed xAI data center, which is facing opposition and a potential environmental lawsuit.

Former SpaceX employees have founded a new company, raising $50 million to develop optical technology for data centers.

How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers  The Wall Street Journal

How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers  The Wall Street Journal

How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers  The Wall Street Journal

How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers  The Wall Street Journal

How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers  The Wall Street Journal

PG&E's CEO announced that the growth in data centers has contributed to an 11% reduction in rates since 2024.

Watch Thrive has invested in a startup focused on building innovative optical technology for data centers, signaling interest in next-generation infrastructure.

The departure of Gail Slater suggests a shift in US antitrust policy within the Trump administration, with pro-business Republicans gaining influence over populist factions in the justice department.

Thermal drone footage reportedly shows Elon Musk's xAI power plant in Mississippi violating clean air regulations to power its data centers, raising concerns about environmental compliance.