AI data center projects often run into delays when developers encounter unfamiliar technologies and unexpected technical challenges. Taking a structured, methodical approach can help keep projects on track.
This report highlights results from vendor and product supplier respondents to the Uptime Institute Global Data Center Survey 2026 and provides an insight into the spending strategies, technology adoption and other issues facing their customers.
The industry-average PUE decreases slowly, with efficient new data centers offset by legacy facilities. Weighting the average by IT capacity instead reveals a faster pace of efficiency gains from larger new builds.
Heat waves and winter storms test the operational side of data centers. The question is no longer whether systems were designed for extreme weather, but whether operators understand how much headroom is needed to withstand it in practice.
AI-accelerated digital twins are central to many AI factory designs and builds. But despite progress in tackling specific power, cooling and IT challenges, most applications remain unproven beyond initial pilots and lack a clear return on investment.
Data center waste heat does not significantly raise local temperatures, but concerns over the heat island effect demand a robust response that addresses monitoring and mitigation measures.
The US state of Virginia has retained its sales-and-use-tax exemptions for data centers but is imposing a new tax on electricity use: a move that highlights the trade-offs, uncertainties and potential spread of industry-specific taxation.
AI data centers are racing ahead, but the grid isn't keeping up: operators need to rethink how they connect to, generate and manage energy to unlock expansion without overwhelming already strained generation and transmission systems.
A new generation of vendors is entering the market to offer prefabricated modular data centers — betting that surging demand for AI will give these facilities a competitive edge.
Policymakers across the US are reassessing tax incentives for data center operators, reflecting shifting priorities around infrastructure, costs and community impacts.
Although media coverage suggests data center buildout is accelerating, recent announcements and construction data paint a different picture — and suggest momentum may be slowing.
Increasing community opposition to data center development is compelling hyperscalers to rethink their decades-old practices.
Concerns over rising electricity costs and environmental impact are driving local opposition to new data center projects in the US, prompting a growing number of cancellations.
Ireland has issued new conditions for large grid loads and proposed new codes for data center connections; similar measures are expected to follow in other locations.
Investment in large-scale AI has accelerated the development of electrical equipment, which creates opportunities for data center designers and operators to rethink power architectures.
Peter Judge
Douglas Donnellan
Jacqueline Davis
Dr. Rand Talib
John O'Brien
Jay Dietrich
Max Smolaks
Daniel Bizo