Data Center Investment News — 31/07/2026
July 31, 2026
Written by Angela Cáceres, Ensar Aljimi, Siddhi Pandit
Two Data Centers Planned in Pregnana Milanese, Italy
A developer has filed plans for two new data center facilities in Pregnana Milanese, a municipality in the greater Milan metropolitan area, adding to the wave of build-outs targeting Italy’s largest data center hub. Milan has emerged as one of continental Europe’s fastest-growing colocation markets, drawing hyperscale and enterprise demand that has historically been underserved relative to Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, and Paris.
The Milan periphery has become a focal point for operators seeking sites with available power capacity and proximity to fiber routes without the land constraints of the city center. As with many announced projects in the region, final capacity, investment figures, and delivery timelines should be verified against the source article, since municipal filings often precede formal grid connection agreements.
Volta Data Centres Appoints Jason Liggins as CEO
Volta Data Centres has named Jason Liggins as its new chief executive officer, a leadership change that comes as the UK-focused colocation provider looks to expand its footprint amid intensifying competition for power-constrained sites in and around London.
Leadership transitions of this kind often signal a shift in strategic priorities, whether toward accelerated expansion, operational efficiency, or a renewed push into adjacent markets such as edge or AI-ready capacity. Readers should confirm Liggins’ start date and prior role details against the original announcement.
Pantheon Atlas Secures Grid Approval for 1GW Croatia Data Center
Pantheon Atlas has secured grid approval for a data center campus in Croatia with a headline capacity figure of 1GW, positioning the project as one of the largest announced facilities in Southeast Europe to date. Grid approval represents a significant milestone, though it typically reflects a long-term interconnection ceiling rather than power that will be drawn from day one.
Large gigawatt-scale approvals of this kind are increasingly common across Europe as developers stake out grid capacity years ahead of construction. As always, the 1GW figure and any associated investment or timeline details should be checked against the source article before publication, given how frequently headline capacity numbers are phased build-out ceilings rather than committed near-term load.
Gigawatt-Scale Data Center Campus Planned Outside Atlanta, Georgia
A new gigawatt-scale data center campus has been proposed on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, adding to the Southeast’s rapidly growing pipeline of hyperscale developments. Georgia has become an increasingly attractive market for large-scale projects thanks to available land, transmission infrastructure, and a utility environment that has been actively courting data center load growth.
As with comparable announcements elsewhere in the Southeast, the gigawatt figure attached to this campus most likely represents a long-term development ceiling spread across multiple phases rather than a single committed load. Specific capacity, acreage, and investment figures should be verified against the original article.
900-Acre Data Center Project Proposed Outside Lexington, Kentucky
Developers have proposed a 900-acre data center project near Lexington, Kentucky, the latest in a string of large-footprint campus announcements across the state. Kentucky has drawn growing interest from data center developers due to its relatively affordable power, available land, and proximity to major fiber routes connecting the Midwest and Southeast.
Projects of this scale typically unfold over multiple phases and years, with actual built capacity often lagging well behind the total acreage initially proposed. The 900-acre figure, along with any power capacity or investment estimates, should be confirmed against the source article.
Meta and BlackRock Team Up for Data Center in El Paso, Texas
Meta has partnered with BlackRock on a new data center development in El Paso, Texas, continuing a pattern in which hyperscalers increasingly turn to institutional capital partners to help finance the enormous cost of AI-driven infrastructure build-outs. Pairing a hyperscale tenant with an asset manager allows the compute capacity to be delivered while spreading capital risk across parties with different return expectations.
El Paso sits on Texas’ western grid interconnect, distinct from ERCOT, which can offer a different risk profile for power procurement compared to projects sited within ERCOT territory. Investment size, capacity figures, and financing structure details should be verified against the original reporting before publication.
Brookfield to Develop Gigawatt-Scale Data Center Campus at DOE’s Kentucky Nuclear Enrichment Plant
Brookfield has been selected to develop a gigawatt-scale data center campus at the site of a former US Department of Energy nuclear enrichment plant in Kentucky, an approach that reuses existing federal infrastructure and grid interconnection rather than pursuing an entirely greenfield build. Repurposing legacy energy sites has become an increasingly common strategy for developers seeking to shortcut lengthy interconnection queues.
The DOE’s involvement adds a distinct federal dimension to the project relative to typical private-sector campus announcements, and could carry implications for how power procurement and site access are structured. The gigawatt capacity figure should be treated as a long-term ceiling and verified, along with investment and timeline details, against the source article.
Talen Looks to Develop 23-Building Data Center Campus in Pennsylvania
Independent power producer Talen Energy is looking to develop a 23-building data center campus in Pennsylvania, extending its strategy of pairing large-scale compute development directly with its existing nuclear and gas generation assets. Talen has positioned itself as a leader in behind-the-meter and co-located power arrangements for AI infrastructure customers.
A campus of 23 buildings would represent a substantial multi-phase build-out; total capacity, tenant details, and construction timeline should be verified against the original article, as headline building counts are typically representative of the full master plan rather than a near-term commitment.
Rowan Files for Second Building at Data Center Campus in Temple, Texas
Rowan Digital Infrastructure has filed plans for a second building at its data center campus in Temple, Texas, expanding a project that sits within the ERCOT grid footprint that has become one of the most active data center corridors in the United States. Central Texas has seen a steady stream of hyperscale and colocation announcements amid the state’s comparatively fast permitting and available land.
The addition of a second building points to demand outpacing the campus’s initial phase, a pattern seen repeatedly across Texas developments as operators expand incrementally rather than build full capacity upfront. Building size, capacity, and delivery timeline should be confirmed against the source article.
PowerPlay AI, Sharon AI Plan 400MW Behind-the-Meter Gas-Powered Data Center in Abilene, Texas
PowerPlay AI and Sharon AI have unveiled plans for a 400MW behind-the-meter, gas-powered data center in Abilene, Texas, the latest example of AI infrastructure developers turning to on-site generation to bypass grid interconnection queues that can otherwise take years. Behind-the-meter gas has become an increasingly common bridge strategy for operators racing to bring capacity online for AI workloads.
Abilene has already drawn significant AI data center investment in recent years, and this project adds to that momentum. The 400MW figure, project ownership structure, and construction timeline should be verified against the original reporting, and gas-powered, behind-the-meter approaches of this kind may also warrant attention to permitting and emissions considerations noted in the source article.
CyrusOne Names Company Stalwart John Hatem as New CEO
CyrusOne has named John Hatem, a long-tenured executive at the company, as its new chief executive officer. Elevating an internal, established figure rather than an outside hire suggests an emphasis on continuity of strategy as the colocation and hyperscale provider continues its aggressive global expansion.
Hatem’s specific prior roles and tenure at CyrusOne, along with the timing of the transition and any statements on strategic direction, should be verified against the source article before publication.
Crusoe Files for Two More Data Centers at Goodnight Campus in Armstrong County, Texas
Crusoe has filed plans for two additional data centers at its Goodnight campus in Armstrong County, Texas, continuing the rapid expansion of a site that has become one of the company’s flagship AI infrastructure locations. Crusoe has built its reputation on pairing data center development with stranded or otherwise underutilized energy resources, an approach it has scaled aggressively across Texas.
The filing for two more buildings at Goodnight points to continued strong demand for the campus’s capacity, likely tied to AI training and inference workloads. Specific building sizes, total campus capacity, and investment figures should be confirmed against the original article.
