The Indiana Michigan Power (I&M;) joint settlement, approved by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission on February 19, 2025, is the first formally adjudicated multi-party ratepayer protection framework for data center interconnection in the United States. What makes it unique is not just what it requires — but who agreed to it. The signatories include not only Indiana Michigan Power and the three largest hyperscale data center operators (Amazon Web Services, Google, and Microsoft), but also the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor — the state’s official ratepayer advocate — and the Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, a consumer advocacy organization. Ratepayer advocates called it a ‘landmark’ settlement. The IURC called it ‘a reasonable and balanced effort.’
Fairfax County, Virginia: The Compliance Framework
Fairfax County, Virginia, adopted on September 10, 2024 what is widely regarded as the most comprehensive data center noise and siting ordinance in the United States. It was developed after months of contentious public hearings, [...]
Immersion & Liquid Cooling: The Near-Silent Data Center
The fundamental source of data center community noise complaints is air movement: the high-speed fans required to push large volumes of air through server racks and exhaust heat to the exterior. These fans are noisy [...]
Amazon Web Services Great Oak Retrofit
The Amazon Great Oak data center complex in Prince William County, Virginia, represents the most thoroughly documented noise response case in U.S. data center history. It is not a success story without complications — and [...]