Ten Lowell, Massachusetts residents are suing the state's environmental regulator and Markley Group over a data centre expansion, citing inadequate review of environmental impacts, including diesel emissions and noise, in a densely populated area designated as an Environmental Justice community.
2026 sees surge in US protests against data centre buildouts, with 142 protests in 42 states on July 18, and $130B in projects blocked or delayed, driven by concerns over energy costs, environmental harm, noise, property values, jobs, and taxation.
India's proposed 9,030 MW data centre pipeline could generate 4.33 lakh ecosystem jobs and 195 million sq ft of residential demand by 2030. This growth, driven by investments in power and fibre, will transform surrounding regions, particularly Maharashtra and Karnataka, and benefit Tier-2/3 cities.
Cerebras, a US-based AI chip maker, announced plans to launch its first European data centre by the end of 2026, followed by rapid expansion across France and the Nordics by 2027. The initiative aims to boost AI computing capacity in Europe, addressing demand for local, low-latency infrastructure and offering an alternative to US and Asian compute capacity.
Oracle faces a banking crisis as its $300 billion deal with OpenAI strains US lenders' capacity to provide financing. JPMorgan Chase and other banks have struggled to distribute billions in loans due to single-borrower exposure limits. The financing challenges come as Oracle plans to cut 20,000-30,000 jobs, affecting about 162,000 employees. Analysts estimate Oracle may need $100 billion+ additional funding through 2028, while the broader AI industry faces a $3 trillion capital gap.
