Data Centers: Daily Notes | April 23, 2026
Sen. Ossoff opens federal probe into data center power costs; Reno council unanimously advances regulations; Ypsilanti utility bans water service to data centers for 12 months; Wisconsin DNR review of diesel generators draws nearly 550 comments.
At A Glance 🔽
- U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff opens a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission inquiry into whether AI data centers are driving up Georgia power bills after $4.5 billion in state AI investments since 2019.
- Reno City Council votes unanimously to advance new data center regulations, with a moratorium vote expected at a future special meeting.
- Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority approves a 12-month moratorium on water and sewer services for data centers, blocking service to a planned $1.2 billion University of Michigan/Los Alamos supercomputing facility.
- Wisconsin's DNR draws nearly 550 public comments on air permits for 45 backup diesel generators at a $15 billion data center in Port Washington, after an independent analysis found emissions could exceed federal limits within 10 miles.
- Rockland County, NY's IDA approved a $77 million tax break for a JPMorganChase data center expansion that will create one permanent job, dwarfing what had been reported as the largest per-job data center subsidy in the country.
Georgia
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff opened an inquiry with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, asking Chair Laura Swett to examine whether AI data centers are contributing to rising electricity costs in Georgia. The state has totaled more than $4.5 billion in AI investments since 2019, and in December 2025, the Georgia Public Service Commission approved a plan allowing Georgia Power to generate 9,885 megawatts of new energy to serve data centers.
Ossoff said higher prices and capital costs from increased generation could be passed onto Georgia families without proper safeguards. Residents interviewed described monthly electricity bills approaching $400.
Reno, Nevada
Reno City Council voted unanimously to move forward with new data center regulations, and staff are expected to bring a moratorium vote to a future special meeting. The vote came after hours of public comment from advocates and environmentalists concerned about energy and water use.
Council member Devon Reese, who opposed a moratorium earlier this year, reversed course, calling for a pause. Council member Meghan Ebert accused Reese of virtue signaling, saying she has been consistent while Reese voted yes on data centers every time. As of October 2025, three data centers were under construction or operational in Reno, and over 40 have been approved across the northern Nevada region.
Ypsilanti, Michigan
The Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority approved a 12-month moratorium on water and sewer services for data centers, blocking service to a planned $1.2 billion University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory supercomputing facility.
Township Supervisor Brenda Stumbo said two large data centers could consume the utility's remaining capacity, preventing new homes and businesses. The University of Michigan project would use an estimated 500,000 gallons of water per day. Thor Equities' proposed $1 billion data center in nearby Augusta Township, also within YCUA's service territory, could use 1 million gallons daily. Neither responded to requests for comment.
Port Washington, Wisconsin
Nearly 550 people commented on Wisconsin DNR air permits for 45 backup diesel generators at Vantage's $15 billion AI data center, which will house OpenAI and Oracle operations. The generators would provide a combined 87 megawatts during grid failures.
The DNR's preliminary determination found emissions would fall below federal limits when averaged over a year. But an independent analysis by nonprofit Midwest Environmental Advocates found the generators could emit over 2,407 pounds of nitrogen oxide per hour during full emergency use, roughly 37 times the output of a nearby gas-fired power plant, and could exceed one-hour federal air quality standards within a 10-mile radius. Ozaukee County is already classified as a federal ozone non-attainment area.
Rockland County, New York
The Rockland County Industrial Development Agency approved a $77 million tax break for a JPMorganChase data center expansion in Orangeburg that will create one permanent job, dwarfing what had been reported as the largest per-job data center subsidy in the country. The tax break covers sales taxes on materials and equipment for the billion-dollar project, with roughly $40 million withheld from the state and the rest from local governments.
The IDA's cost-benefit analysis projects over $100 million in local economic benefits. Executive Director Steven Porath said assessing subsidies strictly by cost per job is "outdated." Watchdog group Reinvent Albany called the deal "totally crazy and irrational." The facility sits on a former psychiatric hospital site, about 20 miles from Midtown Manhattan.
📱 Social Finds
Chevron + Microsoft just confirmed what we’ve been tracking: AI is becoming a major new demand driver for natural gas in Texas.
— Rob Wilson (@rleewilson21) April 21, 2026
Here’s what matters:
• Chevron (CVX), Microsoft (MSFT) + Engine No. 1 are developing a massive West Texas data center
• Initial capacity: 2.5 GW… pic.twitter.com/VAixeVPRts
Today we're announcing LevelUp: a free, four-week training program that takes people with no prior experience and prepares them to work as fiber technicians on data center construction sites across the US.
— Engineering at Meta (@Meta_Engineers) April 20, 2026
We built this program with CBRE because the fiber technician field, and… pic.twitter.com/twSVPznjX3
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