The Data Center Rundown
Today's top stories in Data Center

The Data Center Rundown

Sep 15, 2026

 
Antitrust and Regulatory Oversight

A former FTC official urges government action against AI company leaders, citing historical antitrust precedents.

Read at The Register→

 

Should government agencies regulate AI CEO actions using 1934 antitrust precedents?

Members of the UK Parliament are urging the government to adopt a more defined strategy for artificial intelligence regulation.

Read at The Register→

The Department of Justice is investigating Nvidia's acquihire of Groq, though concerns about competition may be arising too late to prevent integration.

Read at The Register→

 

Is it too late for the DOJ to effectively review Nvidia's Groq acquihire for antitrust concerns?

 
Cooling Reliability and Maintenance

Coolant health is emerging as a critical uptime factor for AI data centers, as subtle changes can serve as early warning signs for potential issues.

Read at Data Center Dynamics→

Data center cooling reliability is increasingly critical for insurers, who are paying close attention to these systems due to their impact on operational continuity and risk.

Read at Data Center Dynamics→

Selecting appropriate hose materials is crucial for direct-to-chip liquid cooling systems. Proper material choice ensures system integrity, longevity, and efficient thermal management in advanced data centers.

Read at Data Center POST→

 
Large Scale Infrastructure Financing

CoreWeave secured $2.6 billion in GPU-backed financing with JPMorgan and MUFG, featuring a five-year debt maturity.

Read at Global Data Center Hub→

Positron AI has raised $875 million at a $5 billion valuation to fund the development of its next-generation hardware, securing significant investment across two funding tranches.

Read at Data Center Dynamics→

SB Energy plans an Nasdaq IPO with 8.8GW contracted, Nvidia provided a $105 billion guarantee for SB Energy, and atNorth closed $4 billion in funding.

Read at Global Data Center Hub→

Nscale is reportedly seeking $3.5 billion in pre-initial public offering funding, with the IPO itself targeting a $3 billion raise.

Read at Data Center Dynamics→

 
Power Grid Capacity Strategies

Microsoft aims to significantly increase its data center power capacity, targeting over 38 gigawatts by 2032, reflecting substantial growth in digital infrastructure needs.

Read at Global Data Center Hub→

AI infrastructure development now prioritizes rapid power delivery over sheer capacity, necessitating adaptable site selection and phased power strategies.

Read at Data Center Knowledge→

Data center load forecasting requires utilities to vet credible demand, separating speculative projects from genuine needs to manage power reservations effectively.

Read at Data Center Frontier  →

 

Should utilities vet AI data center demand more stringently to avoid ghost projects?

 
Retrofitting and Infrastructure Upgrades

Advanced nuclear power is being evaluated as a potential repeatable infrastructure for artificial intelligence, focusing on fuel, manufacturing, construction, and testing to support large-scale deployment.

Read at Data Center Frontier  →

Densifying existing data centers offers a faster, more cost-effective alternative to new construction, necessitating meticulous management of power, cooling, access, and regulatory factors.

Read at Data Center Knowledge→

 

Teravolt aims to capture market share from established industries to fulfill the immense power demands of artificial intelligence.

Read at The Register→

 
Chatter
The view from Reddit
“After 14 years in IT, I feel like I can’t keep up anymore”

After a year focused on family health crises and the recent passing of his mother, an IT professional with 14 years of experience in DevOps and cloud feels disillusioned by a stagnant salary and a rapidly evolving tech landscape, questioning his place in an industry that seems to demand constant adaptation without commensurate reward.

Read at r/sysadmin→

 

Has the IT industry's rapid evolution outpaced fair compensation for experienced professionals?

“Follow-up: building access controls and logging into the AI automation setup”

An IT professional is developing a product to provide a control and audit layer for AI usage in IT, addressing the risk of technicians pasting unvetted AI-generated scripts into production by offering granular permissions, destructive-action blocking, and full audit trails.

Read at r/sysadmin→

“Server hard-resets every 728.4 minutes ±1 min, 12 times running. No bugcheck, no iDRAC SEL entry, timer survives reboots. I'm out of ideas.”

A sysadmin is baffled by a Dell PowerEdge server that hard-resets precisely every 728.4 minutes without any logged errors, bugchecks, or signs of hardware degradation, leading to speculation about an external power or firmware timer.

Read at r/sysadmin→

 

Choosing the right data center site is paramount before construction begins. Thorough site selection ensures long-term operational success and avoids potential future challenges for the facility.

Read at Data Center POST→

 

AI data center ownership overlooks property tax as a significant cost; strategic management from design to operation is crucial, not just an annual accounting task.

Read at Data Center Knowledge→

 
Regional Development and Opposition

California and Southern California are emerging as key markets for data center development as opposition grows in other regions.

Read at Bisnow→

 

Is California becoming a preferred fallback market for data centers due to nationwide opposition?

 

As AI campuses demand power at scale, DC Blox CTO Jeff Wabik highlights that while fiber can be brought to sites, coordinating fiber, permits, equipment, labor, and community acceptance remains a significant challenge.

Read at Data Center Frontier  →

 

Subscribe

Get The Data Center Rundown delivered to your inbox.

Free. Unsubscribe anytime.

The Data Center Rundown Trending topics Issue archive Companies & orgs About Privacy Terms
© 2026 Rundown Club
For Executives & Investors For IT & Cloud Architects For Infrastructure Engineers For Operators & Facility Managers For Sustainability & Compliance For Vendors & Service Providers