Datacenters are driving unprecedented growth in US clean energy, boosting wind and solar, but also leading utilities to build fossil-fuel plants and delay renewable transitions. Tech companies are investing heavily in self-generation due to grid connection delays.
Seattle has enacted a one-year ban on new data center construction, citing environmental concerns and rising electricity costs. The moratorium aims to allow for regulation development and assess data centers' use of urban land.
Donald Trump's administration prioritizes AI growth over regulation, evidenced by executive orders and discussions of government stakes in AI firms. Meanwhile, Anthropic advocates for a pause in AI development while pursuing an IPO, raising questions about its safety-first posture.
Seattle is poised to pass a year-long ban on new datacenters, a move driven by concerns over rising utility costs, environmental hazards, and the AI industry's massive energy demands. The city council is expected to approve the moratorium, which activists hope will set a precedent for other jurisdictions.
Seattle is poised to pass a one-year moratorium on new datacenter construction, citing concerns over rising utility costs and environmental hazards. The move, supported by activists and tech workers, aims to regulate the AI industry's massive facilities and could set a precedent for other cities.
Monterey Park, California, became the first US city to vote on a permanent datacenter ban via ballot initiative. Early results show strong support, with 86.3% of votes favoring the prohibition, driven by resident concerns over environmental impact and utility costs.
Australia's Q1 GDP grew 0.3%, driven by datacentre investment in machinery and equipment. This surge raises climate concerns, as datacentres are projected to significantly increase electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, potentially derailing climate goals.
Russia's installed datacenter capacity is projected to increase 2.4-fold to 4.3 GW by 2030, up from the current 1.8 GW, with annual power consumption rising by 18%. Moscow and its region dominate, but other regions are identified as promising. Major investors like Sberbank and Yandex will drive demand.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak stated that datacenters' power consumption could double by 2030, reaching 110 GW and accounting for 3% of global energy use, comparable to metallurgy and agriculture. He emphasized the need for energy system development to support AI and called for specific regulations to prevent grid overloads and ensure affordability.
Nvidia exceeded Q1 2026 revenue and EPS expectations, reporting $81.62bn and $1.87/share respectively. The AI chip giant's datacenter business saw 92% YoY growth to $75.2bn, driven by the global AI infrastructure buildout.
The AI boom is causing datacenters to expand rapidly, leading to increased utility costs, pollution, and resource diversion. Concerns are rising about their impact on communities and the potential for datacenters to gain legal personhood, mirroring corporate rights expansion in the US.
A proposed AI datacenter in Utah, spanning over 40,000 acres and requiring 9GW of power, faces public backlash due to concerns over energy use, water consumption, and impact on the Great Salt Lake ecosystem.
U.S. cybersecurity agency CISA says the CopyFail bug is being actively used in hacking campaigns, and poses a major risk to servers and datacenters that rely on Linux.
U.S. cybersecurity agency CISA says the CopyFail bug is being actively used in hacking campaigns, and poses a major risk to servers and datacenters that rely on Linux.
Lima, Ohio, is deploying a floating solar array on a local reservoir to power its water treatment plant. The project aims to lower energy costs and preserve agricultural land, highlighting a broader regional transition toward renewable energy despite local opposition.
The RAM shortage caused by demand from AI datacenters is already driving up prices on phones, PS5s, and Raspberry Pis, but it could be about to get even worse. Samsung is facing employee protests over demands for wages that are more competitive with rival chip manufacturer SK Hynix, including removing Samsung's cap on bonus pay, […]
