Big spending: In 2025, data center capex reached $770B, exceeding investments for upstream oil & gas activities, a Rystad Energy report found. This year? Rystad predicts data center investments will match those for renewable generation and the entire oil & gas sector.
Meta’s largest data center yet is planned for rural Louisiana. There, the tech giant is bankrolling Entergy to build seven new natural gas plants and 240 miles of new transmission, storage, and nuclear uprates. Ultimately, Meta aims for 7+ GW to power its data center.
Bringing the heat: Data centers may warm the surrounding land by up to 16 degrees Fahrenheit, scientists reported in a new study. This “heat island” effect could touch over 340 million people living within around 6 miles of data centers. But experts caution that the phenomenon needs further study.
Molly Glick
Energy Central Team
Tue, Mar 31
NEWS: The data center buildout keeps heating up—literally and figuratively. 🔥
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