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Fervo Energy said it started delivering electricity to the grid from its Cape Station facility on September 30, a day ahead of schedule, after the plant synchronized with the grid about a week earlier. The initial phase represents one-third of a planned 100-megawatt facility that took 23 months to build from groundbreaking to operation, with the full site potentially scaling to 4 gigawatts.
A new Quinnipiac University national poll finds that more than 70% of Americans say they are concerned AI technology could threaten humanity's existence. The survey indicates public anxiety has expanded beyond job displacement and rising energy costs linked to data centers to encompass broader fears about AI's long-term dangers.
In an interview with Time magazine, President Trump reportedly said he does not want data centers built near his own properties, even as his administration promotes rapid AI infrastructure expansion nationwide. The comment surfaced amid broader discussion of his views on AI and energy policy.
A report using AI-assisted analysis found that opposition to artificial intelligence, data center construction and Flock surveillance cameras has emerged as a rare unifying issue among American voters. The findings indicate this backlash is becoming a notable factor heading into the midterm elections.
Google has disclosed Project Suncatcher, an effort to launch AI computing hardware into space, according to the report. Researchers involved acknowledge significant technical challenges but argue the long-term economics could eventually justify orbital data centers.
Satlyt, a startup co-founded by former Google and SpaceX engineer Rama Afullo, has raised an $8 million seed round to develop software that lets multiple satellites share AI computing workloads in orbit. Unlike rivals such as SpaceX, Google and Starcloud, Satlyt does not build its own spacecraft; instead it aims to supply software that runs across other companies' satellites. The company's software is scheduled to launch on a SpaceX rocket alongside Google's first Project Suncatcher prototype.
Alphabet is sending its tensor processing units to space on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Transporter-18 mission launching from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The flight carries Planet Labs satellites, including a solar-powered prototype fitted with Google's AI chips, marking the first in-orbit test of Google's Project Suncatcher initiative first announced in November 2025.
The Verge published a months-long investigation by reporter Josh Dzieza into a proposed 40,000-acre AI data center in Utah, known as Stratos or 'Wonder Valley' after Kevin O'Leary's Shark Tank nickname. The project, which envisioned nine gigawatts of power capacity, sparked intense local political backlash over how it was planned, announced and approved without residents' knowledge, and the effort has reportedly stalled.
Russian military strikes on Ukrainian data center infrastructure caused temporary outages at piracy torrent trackers 1337x and NordicQuality, both of which rely on Ukrainian hosting. Companies including Virtual Systems, MiroHost Ukraine, CosmoNova, DataGroup, CityHost and telecom firms KyivStar and Vodafone Ukraine were also affected by strikes clustered mainly around Kyiv. Both torrent sites have since come back online.
The Defense Department disclosed that unauthorized users accessed a Defense Manpower Data Center system between October 2025 and July 2026, exposing personally identifiable information for about 2.76 million living people and 294,000 deceased individuals. The compromised data reportedly included Social Security numbers paired with job information for military and civilian personnel, though officials have not said how the breach occurred or who was responsible.
Management consulting firm Bain and Co. released an analysis stating the global AI industry must generate $6 trillion in annual revenue by 2031 to cover the capital being poured into data centers. The firm estimates commercial AI tools will contribute $1.8 trillion of that figure, leaving a $4.2 trillion gap that would need to come from elsewhere. Bloomberg reported the findings, which echo earlier warnings from hedge fund manager Harris Kupperman that data center economics don't currently add up.
Kevin O'Leary promoted a 40,000-acre data center and gas power plant project called Wonder Valley (also known as Stratos) in Box Elder County, Utah, claiming it would become the world's largest data center with up to 9 gigawatts of on-site generation. The project moved forward through meetings with Gov. Spencer Cox and the Military Installation Development Authority in January, though county commissioners were not formally briefed until late March, after which their approval made MIDA the land use authority rather than the county.