Data Centers

Tunnels, Turnpikes, and NJ Transit - Oh my! This and more in this edition of Infrastructure Update.

AI is reshaping New Jersey’s workforce in real time. As layoffs hit pharma and tech, the state is investing in AI hubs, data centers and workforce training to prepare for what comes next.

No one wanted this polluted site—until AI showed up. Now it’s set to become a power-hungry data center. What does that mean for energy, jobs, and the community?

New Jersey-based AI cloud company CoreWeave has released new details about its proposed Kenilworth data center, addressing some of the biggest questions residents have raised about the project.

NJEDA and CoreWeave have launched a $20M NJ AI Hub Fund to support AI startups tied to the NJ AI Hub and boost innovation and job growth statewide. 

A deep dive (pun intended) into AI water use

"The debate mirrored a broader balancing act playing out across the country between the promise of AI-fueled development with the great costs to water and energy."

"...this is the first time they’ve appeared in any meaningful way at data center sites. That speaks volumes about just how tight power supplies in the U.S. have become."

There could be a battle brewing after grid operator PJM’s proposed rule changes to fast-track large projects to serve data centers. The changes would allow connections to 10 proposed projects per year in 10 months as opposed to the multiyear backlog that currently exists. However, opponents say it favors natural gas fueled resources because it requires 500 megawatts to qualify and the projects must be completed in three years.

We ask AI why NJ energy prices are increasing, and to list sources.

With massive data centers coming on-line faster than power plants can be built resulting in strains to electric grids, states and grid operators are proposing steps to keep the power flowing.

"The investment in Pennsylvania comes less than a week after Amazon said it will invest $10 billion in North Carolina and announced plans to invest more than $5 billion in its new cloud infrastructure in Taiwan."

"For New Jersey, the path forward hinges on addressing its power infrastructure challenges and maintaining its competitive edge through continued investment and innovation. Success will mean not only capturing a share of this high-growth sector but also reaping the economic and jobs benefits that come with it."

Dive Brief: U.S. electricity demand could grow 25% from 2023 to 2030 and 78% by 2050, driven in the near term by artificial intelligence data...

After many years of relatively flat demand, the U.S. power system is witnessing significant growth. There is no doubt that the AI revolution is a big part of that paradigm change and excitement, but not all energy sources are equally suited to the task and timelines."

"There’s a full-on race in the tech industry, and in tech-centric investment communities, to spend billions of dollars on new AI-infused infrastructures. The furious pace of expanding manufacturing to produce AI-capable silicon chips and simultaneously building massive, AI-infused datacenters is shattering the illusion that a digital economy enables a decoupling of economic growth from rising energy use."