Data centers have become a political flashpoint in the U.S., with grassroots opposition blocking construction while tech companies and developers push for expansion to support AI development. Politicians are negotiating a middle ground through community benefits agreements and power commitments, but critics worry the opposition movement lacks a broader vision beyond blocking infrastructure.
Google is launching a prototype satellite on SpaceX's Transporter 18 mission on October 1 to test data center operations in space. The satellite will occupy a dawn-dusk orbit, a sun-synchronous orbit that keeps solar panels in nearly continuous daylight while remaining in affordable low Earth orbit, made possible by Earth's equatorial bulge.
Cipher Digital extended its Barber Lake data center lease from 10 to 20 years, boosting contracted revenue from $3.8B to over $9B through a new commitment from an unnamed AI lab. Oracle's Project Jupiter in New Mexico, a 2–2.45 GW facility, issued a force majeure notice highlighting risks around power infrastructure and financing timing, as the company faces negative free cash flow despite massive long-term obligations.