The Top 10 Data Center Stories for September 2022

Data centers keep getting bigger, and developers are adapting by building massive new cloud campuses to support them. Our overview of the largest MegaCampuses was the most popular story with DCF readers in September. Other widely-read stories featured Equinix and its exploration of hydrogen-powered generators, the policy and debates and energy constraints shaping the Northern Virginia market, new leadership at CyrusOne, and how land banking at Switch could provide a “California strategy” for DigitalBridge.

Here are the 10 most popular stories on Data Center Frontier in September 2022, in order of article views:

• The New MegaCampuses: The World’s Largest Data Center Projects: Sorting out the largest data centers is a tricky task. But the trend toward larger campuses is undeniable, so we’ve sought to quantify the largest projects in the pipeline, as well as highlight some projects that don’t share details about their scale.
• Equinix Explores Using Hydrogen Fuel Cells in its Data Centers: Equinix is exploring the use of hydrogen as a green fuel source in the company’s data centers, and has created a research project in Singapore to develop a proof-of-concept for using fuel cells in tropical climates.
• Northern Virginia Debates the Future of its Cloud Cluster: This fall, the path for future development in the world’s largest data center market will be decided by decisions on policy and infrastructure in Northern Virginia. Officials in Loudoun and Prince William counties will consider changes in where data centers can be built and what they should look like.
• CyrusOne Taps Equinix Veteran Eric Schwartz as its New CEO: CyrusOne has picked industry veteran Eric Schwartz as Chief Executive Officer. Schwartz, who has held leadership roles at Equinix, succeeds founder Dave Ferdman, who served as interim CEO through the company’s acquisition.
• Dominion Resumes New Connections, But Loudoun Faces Lengthy Power Constraints: Dominion Energy says it has resumed providing new connections to data center customers in a power-constrained section of Loudoun County, Virginia. But the available power is less than data center providers had originally been expecting, and power constraints are likely to persist until 2026.
• As Demand Outstrips Supply in Cloud Hubs, Secondary Markets May Benefit: The data center industry continues to see record demand, which could boost the prospects for developers in secondary markets with ample supplies of land and power available to support new capacity.
• With New Incentives, Pennsylvania Makes Pitch for Hyperscale Business: With the passage of new tax incentives for data centers in Pennsylvania, developers have announced plans for a hyperscale campus outside Philadelphia that could create 2 million square feet of data center space.
• DigitalBridge: Buying Switch Helps Solve the California Capacity Crunch: Power constraints in Silicon Valley data center hubs are among the reasons DigitalBridge sees opportunity in its pending $11 billion acquisition of Switch, which has plenty of capacity at its massive campuses in Reno and Las Vegas.
• Novva Data Centers Enters Las Vegas Market with 100 MW Project: Novva Data Centers plans to open a new data center in North Las Vegas, Nevada. The 100-megawatt facility will be the third data center for Novva, which has sites in Salt Lake City and Colorado Springs.
• Quantum Loophole Unveils Deals for 4 Customers, 240 Megawatts of Power: Data center developer Quantum Loophole says it has lined up deals for a whopping 240 megawatts of capacity at its new hyperscale campus in Frederick County, Maryland. The company is building a 2,100-acre campus to provide cloud computing companies with huge sites to support years of growth.

Education is part of our mission at Data Center Frontier. In our Voices of the Industry feature, we share the experience of data center executives on the front lines of innovation. Here’s a look at the most popular Voices columns for DCF readers last month:

• Why Data Centers Matter: The Irish Example of Digital Opportunity (Host in Ireland) The digital economy is here to stay, and decarbonization is a must for the future of our planet. Garry Connolly of Host in Ireland explains why digital infrastructure coming from Ireland plays a unique role around the world.
• How Supply Chain Constraints are Impacting the US Data Center Market (Sabey Data Centers): In recent years, shortages of raw materials and containers, factory shutdowns, and shipping bottlenecks have aggravated an imbalanced data center supply/demand paradigm. Dale Spencer of Sabey Data Centers explains why in-house construction companies can help data center operators manage supply chain issues.
• How Microgrids Help Data Centers Mitigate and Adapt to Climate Change (Enchanted Rock): Urgent, timely action must be taken to mitigate climate change and slow the effects of global warming. But at the same time, we must also to adapt just as quickly to the consequences already being felt if we want to build a more resilient society. Allan Schurr of Enchanted Rock explains how microgrids can help mitigate climate change while also making our institutions more resilient.

Be sure to check out all of our Voices columns, including insights from Applied Energy, Advanced Energy, Stream Data Centers, and DataBank.

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