Senators from both parties announced a bipartisan agreement on legislation to speed up federal approval of pipelines, power lines, and other major infrastructure projects, though a vote will not occur before the midterm elections.
Senate Democrats blocked the Ratepayer Protection Act, which would have encouraged states to protect consumers from power rate hikes caused by data center growth, denying Republicans a legislative win ahead of the midterm elections.
Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico blocked a bipartisan bill in the Senate that would protect electricity ratepayers from costs associated with data center expansion, one day after it passed the House 417-3. The legislation represented lawmakers' first major attempt to address voter concerns about data centers driving up electricity prices.
Chief US District Judge Brenda Sannes ruled that New York's landmark climate superfund law, which would have required fossil fuel companies to pay $75 billion over 25 years for climate damage repairs, conflicts with federal law and cannot be enforced. The ruling sided with 22 Republican state attorneys general and industry groups including the US Chamber of Commerce.
Data center developers are turning to bespoke natural gas power plants to meet AI infrastructure demands, a shift that will dramatically increase US carbon emissions by 20% and make it harder for tech companies to meet climate goals.
Ukraine has sent Russia a proposal through an intermediary to halt attacks on civilian targets in the Black Sea, following a massive Ukrainian drone strike on Russian grain terminals at Novorossiysk that killed three people and disrupted global food exports.
Ontario released a framework requiring data centres to cover energy costs and potentially pay higher electricity rates, while Australia and India face challenges managing the rapid expansion of facilities that strain power grids, water supplies, and local planning systems.
A massive Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk killed three people and forced major grain export terminals to halt operations. Russia warned the strikes could disrupt global food markets and drive prices higher.
Ukraine conducted a massive drone attack on Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, disabling two major grain terminals and raising concerns about global supply disruptions. The strike comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to seize European vessels in retaliation for potential seizures of Russian merchant ships.
AI company Anthropic has agreed to a 20-year, $9.1 billion deal to lease 191 megawatts of computing capacity from Riot Platforms' Rockdale, Texas data center, with extension options potentially pushing the total value to $16.1 billion. The agreement marks a major pivot for the Bitcoin mining company into AI infrastructure.
Amazon's planned data center in Pecos County, Texas received a permit to build an on-site power plant that could release up to 33 million tons of CO2 annually, potentially making it the largest source of climate pollution in the United States.
The Department of Energy under the Trump administration removed more than 1,600 web pages that provided guidance on electrical grid preservation, staying cool during heatwaves, and cutting energy costs, according to reports.
The White House plans to bring together utility companies and data center developers to make a voluntary pledge designed to ensure that rapid growth in electricity demand from artificial intelligence does not drive up consumer costs.
A hyperscale datacentre planned for outer London would generate over 1 million tonnes of CO2 annually, equivalent to 8,480 transatlantic flights, raising concerns about compatibility with UK net zero targets. The proposal is among several datacentre projects facing local resistance in London.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued orders Thursday directing six major grid operators to expedite connection of AI data centers and large electricity users to transmission systems, marking a significant policy shift to address power infrastructure bottlenecks.
Investment firm Bernstein has initiated coverage on Bitcoin miners TeraWulf and Cipher Digital with 'Outperform' ratings and price targets of $36 and $32 respectively, positioning them as 'power landlords' for AI infrastructure. The coverage comes as Bitcoin mining stocks have significantly outperformed BTC in 2026, with miners securing over $110 billion in AI-related deals over the past two years.
