Data Center Digest: Friday 27th June

Welcome back to The Data Center Digest!

Let’s dive straight into this week’s updates.

With the heatwave in full swing, I'd recommend grabbing an iced coffee or cold brew to keep cool while you catch up on the latest in the data center world.

Who Took Centre Stage This Week?

EdgeCore to Develop 1.1GW Data Center in Virginia

EdgeCore will invest $17 billion to build a 1.1GW data center campus in Louisa County, Virginia. The 697-acre site will support up to 3.9 million sq ft of infrastructure and is backed by $13.6 million in state grants and $29.5 million in utility upgrades. This is one of the largest single-site data center projects in U.S. history.

Google Commits $7 Billion to Expand Iowa Data Center Footprint

Google has pledged an additional $7 billion to expand its data center operations in Iowa, including a new facility in Cedar Rapids and further development of its existing Council Bluffs campus. The investment will also support workforce development programs, including training 700 electrical apprentices by 2030. This move doubles Google’s total investment in the state and reinforces its commitment to AI and cloud infrastructure growth.

Cawley Partners Acquires 5,200 Acres in Texas

Cawley Partners has purchased 5,200 acres near Ferris, Texas, to develop a large-scale data center park. The site is strategically located near major highways and power infrastructure, with initial development focused on 2,000 acres.

Top Stories

DAMAC Rebrands to DAMAC Digital, Unveils Global AI Infrastructure Strategy The group rebranded its data center arm EDGNEX to DAMAC Digital, signaling a bold shift toward becoming a global leader in AI-ready infrastructure. With projects across 11 countries and a projected global capacity of 4,000MW, the company is investing heavily in AI-focused campuses in Southeast Asia, Europe, and the U.S.

Firmus Raises AU$280M Ahead of IPO Singapore-based AI cloud provider Firmus has secured AU$280 million (US$180 million) in funding to support a new AI data center in Tasmania, Australia. The company is preparing for a 2026 IPO and is backed by Temasek and ST Telemedia.

Thailand’s NT and BCPG Partner for Green Data Center Development Thailand’s National Telecom and energy firm BCPG have partnered to develop sustainable data centers powered by renewable energy. The initiative supports Thailand’s digital economy and green energy goals.

Nebius to Host Nvidia Blackwell Ultra Cluster in UK Russian cloud provider Nebius will host a UK-based Nvidia Blackwell Ultra GPU cluster at Ark Data Centres’ Surrey facility, marking a significant step in AI infrastructure expansion in the UK.

Regional Highlights

North America

• Google – Botetourt County, VA Google bought 312 acres for $14M and committed $4M to local projects. The site is shovel-ready and zoned for data center use.
• 150MW AI Data Center – Moose Jaw, Canada A $485M “AI wellness town” in Saskatchewan will include a 150MW data center. The project will reuse heat and create over 1,000 jobs.
• Foxconn & Nvidia – Houston, TX Foxconn’s new AI server factory in Houston will use humanoid robots to assemble Nvidia GB300 servers. It’s expected to open in early 2026.
• Sabey – Ashburn, VA Sabey began building its third facility at the Ashburn campus. It will support up to 54MW and high-density cooling.
• Cielo Digital – South Carolina Cielo is investing $2.1B in a 300MW campus with four buildings and a substation. Operations are expected by 2028.
• Microsoft – Carbon Removal Deals Microsoft signed deals for 7.4M tons of carbon removal with Anew Climate and Agoro. These offsets will support its data center sustainability goals.
• Amazon – Project Rainier AWS unveiled a massive AI cluster using Trainium2 chips. It will power future Claude models from Anthropic.
• Cisco – Qunnect Investment Cisco backed Qunnect’s quantum networking tech with a $10M investment. The startup is deploying secure quantum links over fiber.
• Sonim – Reverse Merger Sonim plans to merge with a private AI data center firm valued at $300M. The deal will bring Nvidia-powered infrastructure to market.
• New York – 1GW Nuclear Plant NYPA will develop a 1GW nuclear plant to meet AI energy demand. It’s the first new U.S. commercial nuclear project in 15 years.
• Texas – Interconnection Law Texas passed a law requiring large data centers to help fund grid interconnection. It aims to ease infrastructure strain from AI growth.

Europe

• Hochtief, part of Spain’s ACS Group, launched a UK-based Edge data center platform under the Yexio and Yorizon brands.
• Lockton, in partnership with Parametrix, launched SLA insurance for data centers to cover downtime risks.
• Stoneweg launched a 1,116MW data center platform across Ireland, Spain, Italy, and Denmark.
• A 300MW hyperscale campus was announced near Pamplona, Spain.
• Google acquired 195 hectares in Châteauroux, France, for its first self-built data center in the country.

Middle East & Africa

No new project announcements this week, but a region to keep your eyes peeled on for future developments!

Asia-Pacific

• Alibaba Cloud – South Korea Alibaba Cloud will launch its second South Korean data center by the end of June to meet rising demand for AI and cloud services
• Malaysia – Nvidia Chip Investigation Malaysia is investigating reports that Chinese firms used Nvidia chips in local data centers to bypass U.S. export controls
• Thailand – NT & BCPG Partnership Thailand’s NT and BCPG have partnered to build sustainable data centers powered by clean energy for government and enterprise use
• Haoyang – Thailand Beijing-based Haoyang will build a 300MW AI data center in Rayong, Thailand, marking its first international project
• Kakao – South Korea Kakao plans a second AI data center in Namyangju, South Korea, with a $442M investment and completion expected by 2029

Industry Trend: Land Is Cash

In today’s AI-fueled data center race, land isn’t just real estate.. it’s currency. Strategic land banking is happening at unprecedented scale.

From EdgeCore’s 697-acre buy in Virginia to Cawley’s 5,200-acre grab in Texas, developers are locking down massive parcels years before a shovel hits the ground. Why? Because whoever controls the land controls the power, the permits, and the pace of deployment.

It’s not about building today - it’s about owning tomorrow’s capacity. In a market where speed-to-power is everything, land is the new liquidity.

Talent Insight: We Can’t Build Without People

The data center industry is growing faster than ever, but the talent pool isn’t. As AI, cloud, and hyperscale demand surge, another huge bottleneck is lack of people.

To meet this challenge, we need to widen the funnel. That means creating new pathways into the industry, from military veterans with technical and operational experience, to community outreach programs that tap into transferable skills in trades, logistics, and IT. These aren’t just feel-good initiatives - they’re strategic necessities.

Recruitment isn’t just about filling roles, it’s how you scale faster. The companies that invest in talent today will be the ones delivering capacity tomorrow.

If you want to have a deeper conversation about building your team or exploring new ways to attract talent, I’d love to connect.

Here are some active community initiatives that are widening the funnel:

• Meta’s Data Center Community Action Grants – Grants for STEAM education, tech training, and community tech projects.
• Data Center Coalition (DCC) Workforce Advocacy – Promotes diverse workforce development via policy, outreach, and education.
• Microsoft’s Datacenter Community Pledge – Local training, apprenticeships, and education programs near data centers.
• AWS + Virginia Community Colleges (FastForward Program) – Hands-on training and certifications for data center careers.
• AWS I2PA (Pre-Apprenticeship Program) – Paid 4-week training for digital infrastructure roles.
• NVTC Workforce Development – Internships, apprenticeships, and mentorships for non-traditional tech talent.

That’s a wrap for this week’s Digest - thanks for reading! If you’re building out your data center team or exploring your next move in this fast-moving space, I’d love to hear from you. Whether it’s talent, trends, or just a good chat about megawatts and modular builds - let’s connect.

📩 Lucy.Loomes@lviassociates.com

Enjoy your weekend, and see you next Friday!

Lucy 👋