Milldam Minute

Zoning IN

Zoning IN

in Client News, Milldam Minute, Milldam News

Amid headlines blaming AI for soaring power bills, a Berkeley Lab/Brattle analysis adds needed nuance: large loads can lower average rates where spare capacity exists, while aging infrastructure, wildfire mitigation, storms, and some mandate-driven procurement are major price drivers. Regulators and politicians are responding in real time: Virginia’s statewide races are now openly about who pays for grid growth, utilities are proposing special rate classes for hyperscale users, Michigan’s MPSC is weighing stricter IRP guardrails […]

Read More

Zoning In

Zoning In

in Client News, Milldam Minute, Milldam Monthly, Milldam News

As local moratoria spread from Georgia to Virginia to the Midwest, a new AP–NORC poll reveals something striking: Americans are now more worried about the environmental impact of AI and data centers than they are about aviation, meat production, or cryptocurrency. This week’s Zoning In tracks a growing disconnect between industry momentum and community confidence. Dozens of projects remain paused or withdrawn amid questions about water, power, and transparency — from Jones County’s 90-day moratorium […]

Read More

Zoning In

Zoning In

in Client News, Milldam Minute, Milldam News

From Georgia to the Midwest, local governments are drawing hard lines around data center expansion — and this week, the pushback hit a new pitch. DeKalb County, Georgia extended its moratorium through mid-December while unveiling a detailed “tiered” rulebook that classifies projects as minor, major, or campus-scale and requires developers to submit comprehensive plans for noise, water, energy, transmission, and stormwater impacts. Meanwhile, St. Louis County Commissioner Ashley Grimm blasted fellow officials for signing nondisclosure […]

Read More

Zoning In

Zoning In

in Client News, Milldam Minute, Milldam News

This week brought another round of sharp contrasts across the data center landscape — from community-led defeats and corporate withdrawals to zoning rewrites that push controversial projects forward. In Wisconsin, Microsoft abruptly scrapped its Caledonia proposal after outcry from nearly 2,000 residents, while just up the road, Vantage’s $8 billion Port Washington campus moved ahead despite protests outside City Hall. In Alabama, Bessemer officials changed local zoning laws to allow hyperscale data centers in light-industrial […]

Read More

Zoning In

Zoning In

in Client News, Milldam Minute, Milldam News

This week’s Zoning In highlights how data center growth is reshaping policy and infrastructure across the U.S. In California, PG&E announced a $73 billion plan to upgrade transmission systems in response to rising data center electricity demand. In Maryland, a coalition of environmental and land use groups formed to coordinate responses and provide resources to communities evaluating new projects. Meanwhile, lawsuits, rezoning battles, and moratoria continue from Georgia to Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, while states […]

Read More

Zoning In

Zoning In

in Milldam Minute, Milldam Monthly, Milldam News

This week’s Zoning In highlights some of the hottest flashpoints in the national data center debate: township denials in Michigan, strained emergency services in Ohio, calls for public forums in Oregon, a potential moratorium in St. Louis, and environmental justice concerns in Georgia and Alabama. Communities are increasingly framing these projects around issues of water, power, noise, transparency, and equity. At the same time, broader political currents are beginning to converge. On September 20, hundreds […]

Read More

Is Private Equity the Next Flashpoint for Data Center Opposition?

Is Private Equity the Next Flashpoint for Data Center Opposition?

in Client News, Milldam Minute, Milldam News

Why Developers Must Factor Political Risk Into Community Relations and PR By Adam Waitkunas Private equity has become one of the most important growth drivers in the data center industry. In recent years, a flood of investment capital has fueled record-setting mergers, acquisitions, and development projects as the world races to build the infrastructure powering AI and the cloud. For data center operators and developers, this surge of investment has created extraordinary opportunities. But as […]

Read More

Zoning In

Zoning In

in Client News, Milldam Minute, Milldam News

This week’s Zoning In tracks a surge of new data center proposals—and growing resistance—stretching from Texas and Georgia to Wisconsin, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, and beyond. Communities are raising alarms over water consumption, grid strain, noise, and transparency, prompting local officials to consider moratoria, tighten zoning rules, and even rescind prior approvals. At the same time, states like Missouri and Pennsylvania grapple with shielding ratepayers from rising energy costs while attracting billions in AI-driven investment. […]

Read More

Zoning In

Zoning In

in Client News, Milldam Minute, Milldam News

Policy guardrails and public pushback continue to shape where — and whether — data centers get built. This week saw multiple counties and cities consider moratoria or new zoning rules, as residents across the country rally against proposals over their water, energy, and environmental impacts. Meanwhile, developers and economic development boards argue data centers are vital tax generators that can offset residential burdens, even as local leaders seek stronger siting controls and transparency. Prince William […]

Read More

Zoning In

Zoning In

in Client News, Milldam Minute

Policy guardrails are catching up to AI infrastructure. Georgia proposes new DRI thresholds and disclosures, Pima County expands NDA and environmental review rules, and Virginia’s SCC weighs cost allocation for high-load customers. Communities from Mississippi to Virginia continue to organize, and a new report warns of potential Great Lakes water stress from data centers. Meanwhile, Brazil signals “Redata” incentives to lure renewable-powered builds. Brazil Launching Data Center Incentives Next Month to Woo Big Tech Brazil […]

Read More

1 … 3 4 5 6 7 … 21