The short version
Groundbreakings in Texas and Indiana pushed projects forward, while a New Mexico county moved toward a second breach notice on Oracle's Project Jupiter. Approvals in Texas and Pennsylvania cleared paths for new campuses, and transformer deliveries to an Indiana AWS site slipped.
- PowerBridge breaks ground on 2GW Alpha Digital campus in Pecos, Texas
- Amazon breaks ground on $7 billion Project Rise in Wheatfield, Indiana
- Westlake approves PowerHouse Data Centers agreement for 350MW Circle T project
- Doña Ana County authorizes second breach notice for Oracle's Project Jupiter
- Transformer deliveries to Hobart AWS data center delayed over bridge weight
PowerBridge breaks ground on 2GW Alpha Digital campus in Pecos, Texas
What happened
PowerBridge started work on the Alpha Digital powered land campus near Pecos, Texas, with over 2GW planned and the first 300MW due in 2027.
The details
- Liberty Energy subsidiary Liberty Power Innovations will design, develop and operate modular natural gas power generation at the campus under a joint venture with PowerBridge.
- TOPSFiber is also working on the project.
- PowerBridge was formed by LandBridge, itself formed by Five Point Infrastructure.
Why it matters
The joint venture with Liberty Power Innovations points to early demand for gas turbines and modular power equipment, and TOPSFiber's involvement signals fiber work. Sellers of power generation gear should approach Liberty Power Innovations as the operator.
Source: Data Center Dynamics, Nov 12
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Amazon breaks ground on $7 billion Project Rise in Wheatfield, Indiana
What happened
Amazon kicked off construction on the $7 billion Project Rise data center in Wheatfield, Jasper County, Indiana.
The details
- General contractor Ryan Construction is expected to employ hundreds of construction workers during the buildout, which will take years.
- NIPSCO sold Amazon the land for the project.
Why it matters
Ryan Construction's role as general contractor makes it the first call for electrical and mechanical subcontractors seeking work on the long buildout. NIPSCO's land sale suggests utility coordination is already underway.
Source: nwitimes.com, Nov 11
Westlake approves PowerHouse Data Centers agreement for 350MW Circle T project
What happened
Westlake Town Council voted 5-1 to approve a development agreement with PowerHouse Data Centers for the Circle T project after months of litigation.
The details
- The developer paid Oncor to build a 350-megawatt substation on the west side of town to power the data center.
- The agreement includes noise limits, site screening requirements and $1.8 million for project monitoring.
- Tri-County Electric Cooperative has exclusive rights to serve the town of Westlake.
Why it matters
The approved agreement clears the way for PowerHouse to proceed, and the Oncor substation work is a concrete opportunity for transmission and distribution equipment suppliers. Contractors should watch for site work packages from PowerHouse.
Source: Fort Worth Report, Nov 12
Doña Ana County authorizes second breach notice for Oracle's Project Jupiter
What happened
Doña Ana County commissioners voted 4-0 to authorize a second breach notice to the developers of Project Jupiter, the Oracle-led data center campus in Santa Teresa, New Mexico.
The details
- STACK Infrastructure said more than 5,000 workers were on site in October.
- Plans call for connecting the site to El Paso Electric for backup power, while the Bloom Energy fuel-cell microgrid would remain the primary power source.
- The project involves industrial revenue bonds worth $165 billion.
Why it matters
The breach notice signals continued friction over jobs reporting, which could delay procurement. Bloom Energy's fuel cells and El Paso Electric's backup connection remain key equipment packages, but suppliers should monitor whether the dispute slows construction.
Source: Blockspace Media, Nov 12
Transformer deliveries to Hobart AWS data center delayed over bridge weight
What happened
The first delivery of electric transformers to the Amazon Web Services data center site in Hobart, Indiana, will not take place Saturday as scheduled because of weight concerns on local roads.
The details
- Five transformers will supply power to the NIPSCO substation under construction at the 723-acre data center site.
- Porter County Commissioners required NIPSCO to post a $6,585,000 bond for potential road or utility damage.
- The Indiana Department of Transportation raised concerns about the weight of the deliveries.
Why it matters
The delay pushes back energization of the NIPSCO substation, which could affect downstream electrical work at the AWS site. Transformer manufacturers and logistics providers should coordinate with NIPSCO on the rescheduled transport.
Source: Chicago Tribune, Nov 12
By the numbers
2GW
Planned capacity at PowerBridge Alpha Digital campus
Data Center Dynamics$7 billion
Amazon Project Rise data center cost
nwitimes.com350 MW
Oncor substation capacity for Circle T project
Fort Worth Report$6,585,000
Bond posted by NIPSCO for transformer transport
Chicago Tribune
Who won the work
Builders, electrical and mechanical contractors, engineers and suppliers that the day's public reports name on a data center job, each linked to the report.
- Ryan Companies, general contractor · Project Rise · Wheatfield, Indiana Chicago Tribune
- Margulies Hoelzli Architecture, engineering · DA13 · Dallas, Texas Dallas News
- Kimley-Horn, engineering · Project Green Mountain · Archbald, Pennsylvania · 525 MW Scranton Times-Tribune
- Jones Petrie Pafinski and Associates, engineering · Microsoft data center · Granger, Indiana WNDU
Ultra shows who is building and supplying every tracked project, not only the ones in the news. Get the projects in your states, free →
Quick hits
- New Era Energy & Digital says site preparation is underway at its Texas Critical Data Centers Phase 1 in Odessa, with a 207 MW PPA from Luminant, an affiliate of Vistra Corp. barchart.com
- Equinix-linked DA13 data center, estimated at $500 million, is filed for 1520 W. Mockingbird Lane in Dallas with construction starting in February. Dallas News
- Serverfarm is building a $6.6 billion data center in Clarksville, Arkansas, with an initial phase of four buildings each drawing about 108 MW. Arkansas Online
- IREN says Horizon 1 at its Childress, Texas campus reached a GB300 cluster in 14 months, 22% faster than industry benchmarks, under a $9.7 billion Microsoft contract. Blockspace Media
- SoftBank posted a $7 billion quarterly loss, with $3.7 billion tied to gas turbine payments for the 10-GW Portsmouth, Ohio AI data center developed with OpenAI. American Nuclear Society
- Nebius says just over half of Microsoft's contracted capacity at its Vineland, New Jersey site is now planned for delivery by end of 2026, with the remainder in Q2 2027. aiaffairs.com
- Digital Realty seeks an air quality permit for 242 diesel generators with 726 MW combined capacity at its Charlotte, North Carolina hyperscale data center. idcnova.com
- Kentucky Power filed for approval of generation and transmission to support TeraWulf's planned Muskie Data Campus, expected to support up to 1 GW by 2029. Financial Times
How this issue was made
Written by Spezia's AI from the public reports listed, then checked: every figure must appear in its source, and a story that fails is cut. Stories come from the 13 public reports below, found by Spezia's data center news desk since the last issue.
Sources
- PowerBridge breaks ground on gigawatt-scale powered land campus in Texas, Data Center Dynamics, Nov 12
- New Era Energy & Digital Provides Business Update and Reports Q3 2026 Results, barchart.com, Nov 11
- Amazon breaks ground on $7 billion data center in Northwest Indiana, nwitimes.com, Nov 11
- Doña Ana County authorizes second breach notice for Oracle's Project Jupiter: Albuquerque Journal - Blockspace, Blockspace Media, Nov 12
- $500 million data center filed near Love Field, Dallas News, Nov 12
- Hobart data center transformer transport delayed due to weight concerns on bridge, Chicago Tribune, Nov 12
- Serverfarm supporting Arkansas Tech program to train data center workers | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, Nov 11
- Westlake data center bordering Keller neighborhood moves forward after months of litigation, Fort Worth Report, Nov 12
- IREN says Horizon 1 delivered 22% faster than industry benchmark - Blockspace, Blockspace Media, Nov 11
- Firm developing Portsmouth site data center posts $7B loss, American Nuclear Society, Nov 12
- Nebius plans up to $45 billion in 2027 spending as Microsoft capacity slips, aiaffairs.com, Nov 12
- Digital Realty Seeks Permit for 242 Diesel Generators at Charlotte Hyperscale Data Center, idcnova.com, Nov 12
- Company Announcements, Financial Times, Nov 12