IREN, a cloud provider backed by Nvidia, said Microsoft requested changes to networking equipment for a data center project in Childress, Texas, causing delays. IREN now expects to reach $4 billion in annual operating revenue by January or February instead of year-end.
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
Analysts and financial firms say Democratic election victories in Texas and Georgia could lead to tighter state oversight of AI data center projects. Morgan Stanley has identified companies that could face permit delays in Texas. ERCOT audit results are expected around December 10, 2026.
Morgan Stanley, Bank that flagged companies with Texas data center exposure; Cipher Digital, Developer flagged for significant Texas exposure; MARA Holdings, Developer flagged for significant Texas exposure and 4 more
Microsoft will not exercise an option to more than double its existing agreement with AI cloud provider Nscale for computing power at a Texas data center. The decision was made several months ago, before Nscale's September IPO filing, and does not affect the existing Texas contract.
$tens of billions of dollars for potential deal extension value
Microsoft, company declining to expand data center agreement; Nscale, AI cloud provider offering expanded agreement; Gina Hinojosa, governor-elect
Elon Musk pointed to space-based computing on November 4, 2026, as investor concerns grew about potential tighter limits on AI data center construction following Democrats' takeover of Congress and Democrat Gina Hinojosa's projected victory in the Texas gubernatorial election. Data center stocks fell in premarket trading.
$approximately $17 billion for private investment in space hardware
Elon Musk, Discussed space-based computing on X platform; Gina Hinojosa, Democrat who won Texas gubernatorial election, supports data center moratorium; Chamath Palihapitiya, Investor who discussed space infrastructure opportunities on X and 1 more
Democrat Gina Hinojosa won the Texas governor's race on November 3, defeating Republican incumbent Greg Abbott. Democrats also won the U.S. Senate seat and took control of the Texas House for the first time in 24 years. Hinojosa campaigned on halting new data center projects. Stock prices for data center companies fell on the results.
$5% for stock price decline
Gina Hinojosa, Democrat, Texas governor-elect; Greg Abbott, Republican incumbent governor; James Talarico, Democrat, won U.S. Senate seat and 4 more
Google proposed a data center campus near Palo that would use 10.4 million gallons of water per day. The facility would draw power from the Duane Arnold Energy Center and water from the Cedar River. Google presented evaporative cooling technology at an October 22 public meeting.
$10.4 million gallons per day for water usage
Google, data center developer; Kiran Udayakumar, technical program manager for utility infrastructure strategy and planning at Google
North Texas has become the busiest data center construction market in the United States, with mechanical trades becoming a critical constraint on project timelines. CBRE reported over 765 megawatts under construction in Dallas-Fort Worth in the first half of 2026, with 95% already preleased, but the industry faces a shortage of experienced mechanical, plumbing and controls contractors needed for increasingly complex liquid-cooling systems.
$765 megawatts for data center capacity under construction
CBRE, Commercial real estate firm that conducted North America Data Center Trends report; Associated Builders and Contractors, Trade group; ABC chief economist Anirban Basu commented on labor demand; TDIndustries, Dallas-based mechanical contractor recognized for data center projects
Cipher Digital, which operates industrial-scale data centers for bitcoin mining and high-performance computing, added a 70MW Horizon site in Texas to its portfolio.
$70MW for data center capacity
Cipher Digital, company adding data center site; KBW, analyst firm rating the company