Energy & cooling
Mining news and original analysis with dated primary sources.
Stark Power agrees to buy a 262 MW plant with a planned four-hour battery
The October 8 agreement covers Cottage Grove’s operating gas plant and a future 80 MW / 320 MWh battery. Closing is expected in Q4 2026; battery operation is targeted for 2028.
Pacific Rubber joins OCP to work on liquid-cooling seal cleanliness
Pacific Rubber’s October 9 announcement says it has joined OCP as a Bronze member and plans to contribute seal-contamination research. This is a supplier-led standards initiative, not an adopted universal rule or verified cooling upgrade for every hydro ASIC.
DOE backs PJM reforms to make large loads fund new power
DOE’s October 9 position supports allocating new generation and infrastructure costs to large electricity users. This is a regulatory position and proposed reform, rather than an already effective tariff for every data center.
Shell announces NVIDIA DSX Ready qualification for its direct liquid cooling fluid
The October 8 supplier announcement concerns direct liquid cooling. It does not certify the fluid for every hydro ASIC or establish measured energy savings at a mining farm.
Duke Energy proposes broader cost protections for North Carolina large loads
The October 7 settlement would extend protections to qualifying 50 MW loads. Regulatory approval is pending; upfront connection costs and energy charges need separate planning.
DCX will showcase liquid cooling with LITEON at OCP Summit 2026
DCX’s October 8 announcement confirms a joint presence at LITEON’s booth in San Jose. We examine the cooling questions that matter to high-density computing and hydro-cooled mining.
Wärtsilä books 282 MW onsite power order for a U.S. data center
The October 5 announcement covers fifteen 50SG engines, with deliveries planned for 2028 and full operation expected in 2029. Capacity sold is distinct from generation already available to computing operators.
Valeo reports aluminum heat-exchanger tests ahead of OCP 2026
The October 7 announcement reports 38% more cooling capacity and 25% lower fan electricity use in the stated comparison. These are supplier validation claims, not a measured reduction in an entire mining farm’s bill.
McKinsey scenario projects 24% annual growth in data-center electricity demand to 2030
The September 30 Global Energy Perspective report is receiving fresh coverage this week. Its Continued Momentum growth estimate is a scenario, while grid readiness remains a separate constraint.
PowerCompute raises Columbus contracted demand to 11 MW under data-center tariff
The Mississippi contract adds 2.5 MW. PowerCompute says no capacity commitment charge was assessed and a $300,000 deposit is being replaced by a utility bond.
Karman and Legrand plan embedded rack-power control for mid-2027 products
The partnership targets intelligent AC PDUs and DC power shelves. Karman’s estimate of additional AI output depends on each installation; it is not a demonstrated increase in ASIC hashrate.
Google and Constellation plan 890 MW of nuclear uprates for PJM
The October 6 agreement supports upgrades at existing nuclear units, with the first increase expected by 2028. A separate 2,700 MW supply contract covers existing generation.