Overview
- NextEra and Google Cloud will co-develop multiple gigawatt-scale data center campuses with dedicated generation, with three sites already in development and an AI-based grid tool targeted for mid‑2026 release.
- NextEra targets at least 15 GW of new data center power hubs by 2035 with potential to reach 30 GW, pursuing nuclear restarts and large gas projects including a 1,450‑MW North Dakota plant with Basin Electric and a 1.2‑GW carbon‑capture project with Exxon.
- The company detailed a bring‑your‑own‑generation approach for hyperscalers to contain rate impacts, while also expanding deals that include 11 PPAs and two storage contracts with Meta totaling over 2.5 GW for 2026–2028.
- Industry forecasts point to steep growth in data center electricity use, with U.S. demand projected to reach about 106 GW by 2035 and consumers facing a 13% jump in power prices this year.
- More than 230 environmental and community groups asked Congress for a national pause on new data centers, citing higher bills, water stress and emissions, as local opposition has delayed or blocked at least 16 projects worth roughly $64 billion.