Graduate Commissioning Engineer

Spanberger wants to see data centers generate more power on site. Speaking in Danville at an event sponsored by Cardinal News and the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, the governor also acknowledged that some rural counties have "solar fatigue." Gov. Abigail Spanberger dropped a few hints Tuesday about what will be in the energy plan she's releasing on Thursday. She said she backs more on-site electricity generation for data centers so they're not pulling power from the grid. She also said her energy plan will lay out multiple options for Virginia to meet its power needs in the years ahead. "What are the gives and takes?" Spanberger asked. "What are you sacrificing? What are you getting from the different energy mix choices? And so Cardinal News modeled out and actually pushed out a variety of different examples where Cardinal News show these different types of plants have various different localized pollutant risks with these types of energy generation. Cardinal News has this amount of CO2 emissions. And what is the ultimate cost to the user? So that really anyone who chooses to read a 100-page report on Virginia's energy plan has a good sense of what all the options are. "And importantly, I think as you'll see when we release it, there's not one single right path because there's something you give up with every choice that you make. When you forego one option, you're giving something up even when you're gaining something. And so, making sure that people have a clear understanding of the push and pull as we create the right energy mix into the future is something that very intentionally will be including in the plan we're going to be releasing later this week." She said one goal of the energy plan is "making sure that people have a clear understanding of the push and pull as we create the right energy mix into the future." Spanberger's hints about the energy plan came at an event in Danville sponsored by Cardinal News and the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research where the governor was invited to speak about economic development and then took questions from the audience. I served as moderator to read those audience questions. (Cardinal sponsored a similar event during then-Gov. Glenn Youngkin's first year in office; the event was held in Bristol.) Those remarks came in the context of a question about data centers and their energy requirements. While data centers have become pariahs in many localities, political and business leaders in Danville and Pittsylvania County have embraced a large-scale data center coming to the Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill. The developer, Stack Infrastructure, has signed a performance agreement that calls for creating 2,500 permanent jobs over the next 20 years at the site. The Stack project prompted several questions from the audience about how Virginia can guarantee that localities that want data centers can still host them - and about on-site power generation. The governor said her chief of staff had spoken recently with Stack representatives to make sure that the project is a go; she also noted that the company had spoken favorably of her recent executive order - and related legislative proposals - on data centers. "This is a project that, importantly," she said, "is a project that is wanted by the local community. And when I'm looking at how it is that we handle data center investment, or frankly, any type of investment into the future, it is a question of what do communities want." She was asked specifically about whether data centers could use natural gas to generate power on site. She enthusiastically backed on-site power - "It's incredibly important that we have on-site generation" - but did not specifically address natural gas, something that environmental groups oppose. "This is a place where I'll go back to the word that I mentioned before, innovation," she said. "Here is a lot of work being done as it relates to fuel cell, other types of noncombustion natural gas types of energy generation, where we can really ensure that we are meeting long-term the Virginia Clean Economy Act goals into the future, and also ensuring that we're adding greater stability and reliability to the grid by having a behind-the-meter work, the bring-your-own generation." She also mentioned the prospect of small nuclear reactors and fusion technology, the latter of which is being developed by Commonwealth Fusion Technology in Chesterfield County. "There are, on the path outside of Richmond, the potential, there are deals in place with data centers to develop small modular reactors," the governor said. Her staff later said Spanberger was referring to previously announced plans by Amazon to work with Dominion Energy on a small nuclear reactor at Dominion's North Anna nuclear station in Louisa County. (Disclosure: Dominion is one of its donors but donors have no say in news decisions; see its policy.) Separately, Appalachian Power has announced plans to explore a small nuclear reactor at its Joshua Falls substation in Campbell County. Last year, the Goochland County Board of Supervisors voted to adopt a Technology Overlay District designed to attract data centers; it specifically allows small modular reactors. Among other things the governor said Tuesday at the Danville event: She acknowledged 'solar fatigue' in some rural counties. One questioner told the governor that Pittsylvania County, and other rural counties, "have complete solar fatigue" by the number of solar facilities in those communities. The Solar Database maintained by the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia shows that Pittsylvania and neighboring Halifax County each has approved 24 solar projects, more than any other counties in Virginia. "There are many communities that may have complete and total solar fatigue," Spanberger acknowledged, but she noted that "Solar energy is the cheapest and fastest energy to get electrons out onto the grid" and that there are other ways to develop solar energy than large-scale "solar farms." "Among the things that we are prioritizing is really trying to expand some of our distributed energy resources," the governor said. "Distributed energy resources and, you know, including rooftop solar, including school rooftop solar, public building rooftop solar, parking lot carport solar. Now, of course, this type of solar is more expensive than your sort of traditional larger-scale commercial solar installations. But there is a benefit to leveraging this type of distributed energy generation." She also mentioned that this year's General Assembly passed a measure to promote agrovoltaics. "Those are solar panels that can be used concurrently with principally, you know, livestock grazing, some smaller local ground specialty crops can grow right alongside them to give people options," Spanberger said. "If a farmer chooses or may wish to utilize the leverage agrivoltaics for diversification on their farm, that can be their choice." Virginia is 'leaning into' life sciences. The governor was asked what Virginia is doing to create a workforce for the future. "We are really leaning into the life sciences and biotech firms," she said. "This is a direct result of the work that is happening at Virginia Tech, at UVa, at VCU, at Virginia State, and recognizing that we are creating a new ecosystem" around pharmaceuticals. That also follows the growth of the pharmaceutical industry in the state under former Govs. Ralph Northam and Glenn Youngkin. "We're also working to expand our manufacturing workforce for the advanced manufacturing work" that is related to pharmaceuticals. "Now Virginia is increasingly known as a place where that type of investment is important, or will get a return because you'll be able to get a workforce." She's still looking for ways to expand childcare. The governor fielded multiple questions about ways to expand childcare - which, the questioners noted, is connected to economic development. "Certainly my administration has made investments in the budget for the childcare subsidy," she said. "It's an important program, but it doesn't contend with the supply-side challenge of just not having enough childcare options. And so I will say that we are still looking beyond the state for potential solutions to see what other states have been doing... We are still trying to figure out what are the hurdles that stop an entrepreneur from opening a childcare facility... If anyone has any feedback on this, we welcome it." She encouraged people to apply for boards and commissions. One question dealt with why so many economic development boards are dominated by leaders from traditional industries when the state is trying to encourage startups. Why aren't there more representatives from younger companies? The governor encouraged people to apply for positions on the many boards and commissions the state has. "Please reach out to our team," she said. "If you know someone who might be hesitant to apply, please flag them for us."

Oracle invokes force majeure as New Mexico Project Jupiter power work faces hurdles. 2.46-GW fuel-cell microgrid awaits state permit while gas pipeline in-service date moves to 2027. September 28, 2026 ENR AT-A-GLANCE 5 Things to Know EXPAND Oracle issued a force majeure notice Sept. 24 tied to Project Jupiter, a multibillion-dollar AI data center campus under construction in southern New Mexico, as key pieces of the development's planned power infrastructure remain in separate regulatory processes. STACK Infrastructure and BorderPlex Digital Assets are developing the campus near Santa Teresa. The power plan includes a 2,462-MW Bloom Energy fuel-cell microgrid awaiting a state construction permit and a natural-gas pipeline proposed to supply it. Oracle sent the notice to Blue Owl Capital, owner of STACK Infrastructure. The notice preserves Oracle's contractual protections if the campus does not come online in 2028 as planned, Bloomberg reported. "Project Jupiter remains on our planned schedule," Oracle Vice President Michael Egbert told ENR in a written statement. He says force majeure notices are common on developments of this scale and are often used to preserve contractual rights among project partners. "They do not, by themselves, establish a project delay or change delivery expectations," Egbert added. NMED modeling documents locate the proposed 2,462-MW YGI fuel-cell microgrid 3.6 miles south of Santa Teresa, N.M. The facility boundary is outlined in purple; the red-shaded area marks the Sunland Park ozone nonattainment area. Map courtesy New Mexico Environment Dept. Bloom Energy also says Oracle remains committed to its contract for 2.4 GW of natural-gas fuel-cell capacity and that Bloom expects to execute the project on Oracle's planned timeline. Bloom declined to answer ENR's questions about the microgrid's current construction status, permitting, commissioning schedule or when pipeline gas must be available, instead referring to a statement on social media. Oracle's latest workforce figures show construction of the data center campus continuing. More than 3,600 construction workers are helping build the campus, including more than 1,000 New Mexico residents. More than 900 workers joined the project in August, bringing total labor to about 2.8 million hours worked, Egbert says. Looking for quick answers on construction and engineering topics? Try Ask ENR, our new smart AI search tool. Ask ENR Yucca Growth Infrastructure LLC applied in April for New Mexico approval to construct the separate microgrid, which would use Bloom Energy solid-oxide fuel cells to provide 2,462 MW for the nearby data center. Bloom would operate the facility, with the draft permit allowing as many as 2,275 fuel-cell clusters. Under the proposed permit, those fuel cells would provide all base-load and backup power. No other equipment at the permitted microgrid would be authorized to supply electricity. Microgrid awaits construction permit. Yucca's April application identifies the microgrid as not yet constructed and says the facility did not then have a construction permit. Bloom Energy Servers are shown at an existing fuel-cell installation. Project Jupiter's proposed New Mexico microgrid would use Bloom solid-oxide fuel cells to provide 2,462 MW of power. Image courtesy Bloom Energy The same filing says construction is anticipated to begin "Upon Permit Issuance," with completion expected in November 2029. Yet it separately lists anticipated startup as approximately October 2026. The filing does not explain the conflicting dates. The permit proceeding resumed Sept. 17 after the New Mexico Supreme Court denied a petition seeking a writ of mandamus and lifted a stay it had imposed Aug. 23. New Mexico Environment Dept. staff have already cleared a major technical hurdle. A June air-dispersion modeling review found that operation of the proposed microgrid would neither cause nor contribute to exceedances of applicable air-quality standards and concluded the permit could be issued based on that analysis. The department has until Nov. 23 to decide whether to issue the permit, department spokesman Drew Goretzka told Source New Mexico. Permit timing was a project concern before Oracle's force-majeure notice. At a July scheduling hearing, Yucca attorney Jennifer Bradfute said her client stood to lose $325 million per month beginning in November and urged the state to accelerate the proceeding. The microgrid application calls for maximum natural-gas consumption of about 375 million standard cu ft per day and annual use of about 136.8 billion standard cu ft. Pipeline in-service date slips. Transwestern Pipeline Co.'s Green Chile Project is proposed to supply the microgrid with natural gas. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission says the project would deliver up to 400,000 dekatherms per day from the existing El Paso Natural Gas system to Green Chile Ventures LLC to meet natural-gas demand for power generation at a new AI data center campus. FERC's September environmental assessment maps the proposed 17.77-mile Green Chile natural-gas pipeline in Doña Ana County, N.M. The line would supply gas used to generate power for Project Jupiter. Map courtesy of FERC/Transwestern Pipeline Co. Transwestern originally sought to have the pipeline in service in August. In an August FERC filing, the company moved its anticipated in-service date to February 2027, according to Source New Mexico. FERC has not yet authorized construction. Its staff completed an environmental assessment in September of Transwestern's current proposal for 17.77 miles of 24-in.-dia natural-gas transmission pipeline, metering facilities and related infrastructure in Doña Ana County. The assessment concluded that approving the project would not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. A separate federal-land review is complete. The Bureau of Land Management approved the pipeline's crossing of approximately 16 miles of federal land, with a 50-ft-wide permanent right-of-way. BLM recorded an April 27 finding of no significant impact and a May 1 decision. The pipeline also encountered a separate right-of-way dispute involving New Mexico state trust land. Energy Transfer subsidiaries sought rights-of-way for about 2,000 ft and 3,200 ft of the pipeline and a business lease for the Green Chili Meter Station, proposed to connect the lateral to the existing El Paso Natural Gas line. The State Land Office canceled those applications in March. State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard denied Energy Transfer's request for reconsideration July 14, saying the proposed rights-of-way and lease were not in the best interests of the state land trust. Energy Transfer says it continues to work through permitting requirements for the pipeline but did not answer ENR's questions about construction status, critical-path approvals, its current in-service date or gas availability for microgrid commissioning. STACK says it, Blue Owl and Oracle remain "fully aligned" and that the force-majeure notice does not change their financial commitments, but did not answer construction or critical-path questions. Oracle maintains that Project Jupiter's 2028 delivery schedule has not changed. The New Mexico environmental agency faces a Nov. 23 deadline on the microgrid construction permit, while Transwestern's reported pipeline in-service target is February 2027. SPONSORED BY Hi there. I'm Ask ENR. You can ask me anything about construction and engineering, and I'll help find the content you're looking for. Go ahead, type something below, and let's get started! Gottlieb is a five-time Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism award winner with more than a decade of experience covering business, construction and community issues, including finance, law and real estate. He has reported for Adweek and the San Diego Daily Transcript and led a community newsroom in Santa Monica, Calif. He served as editor-in-chief of the Detroit Metro Times and as managing editor at Roofing Contractor, where he helped shape national industry coverage. At Engineering News-Record, Gottlieb covers breaking news, large-scale infrastructure and megaprojects, regulatory developments and business trends across the U.S. and global construction sectors.

Bloom Energy (BE) stock surges 8% as Oracle confirms data center fuel cell partnership. Key takeaways. Table of Contents * Bloom Energy shares surged 8% on Friday, reaching approximately $288.70 and topping the S&P 500's daily gainers. * The rally followed Morgan Stanley's confirmation that Oracle's force majeure filing poses no threat to Bloom Energy's business. * Oracle issued the notice to Stack Infrastructure as a precautionary measure regarding potential delays at its Project Jupiter facility. * Morgan Stanley maintained its Overweight stance with a $310 target, emphasizing the project falls outside Bloom's 2026 projections. * Permit issues related to pipeline construction and air quality regulations are causing delays, not Bloom's technology. Shares of Bloom Energy (BE) jumped 8% during Friday's trading session, settling near $288.70. The performance positioned it as the S&P 500's strongest performer for the day. The upward movement came after investor anxiety from the previous day. Oracle (ORCL) had delivered a force majeure notification to Stack Infrastructure, which is developing the Project Jupiter data center complex in New Mexico. The communication seeks to postpone possible payment commitments should construction delays extend beyond 2028. Oracle shares declined nearly 2% on Thursday following disclosure of the filing. Bloom shareholders initially reacted with concern, given the company's agreement to provide up to 2.45 gigawatts of solid-oxide fuel cell systems for the facility. However, sentiment reversed quickly after Wall Street analysts offered their perspective. Morgan Stanley's David Arcaro informed investors the force majeure filing appears to function as a precautionary legal measure rather than a warning sign. He indicated no anticipated negative impact on Bloom's operations. Arcaro maintained his Overweight recommendation on Bloom stock with an unchanged $310 price objective. He emphasized that Project Jupiter revenue isn't included in Bloom's fiscal 2026 financial outlook, meaning current year projections remain unaffected. Root causes behind project delays. The delays aren't connected to Bloom's fuel cell systems. Arcaro identified a 17-mile natural gas pipeline requiring regulatory approval, along with outstanding air quality permits from New Mexico authorities. Even under the most pessimistic scenario, Arcaro believes Bloom remains protected. Should the New Mexico location be abandoned or indefinitely postponed, contractual safeguards allow Oracle to reassign fuel cell deliveries to alternative data center developments. Bloom Energy issued its own statement addressing the matter. In a Thursday post on X, the company confirmed Oracle "remains committed to Project Jupiter and its contract with Bloom to deliver 2.4 GW of fuel cell capacity." Oracle corroborated this position in comments to Barron's. A company representative explained that force majeure notifications are routine in major infrastructure projects and typically serve to maintain contractual flexibility between parties. The spokesperson clarified that filing such notices doesn't automatically indicate delays or modified delivery schedules. Broader context for Bloom Energy. Project Jupiter represents a component of the expansive Stargate initiative, a collaborative effort between Oracle and OpenAI. The New Mexico development could attract initial capital deployment of $50 billion, with aggregate expenditures potentially hitting $165 billion across three decades. Friday's gains extended a robust performance period for Bloom. The stock is experiencing its strongest monthly showing since April, when it soared 109%. Year-to-date, shares have climbed 232%. Market activity was robust, with approximately 17.3 million shares traded - representing a 34% increase over typical daily volume. Analyst sentiment remains cautiously optimistic overall. Mizuho recently upgraded its price objective to $351 from $242, while BTIG and Jefferies have similarly increased their targets in recent weeks. Stack Infrastructure, the development company referenced in Oracle's notification, operates under Blue Owl Capital's ownership. That company's shares advanced 0.7% on Friday. Limited Time Offer Get 3 free stock ebooks. Discover top-performing stocks in AI, Crypto, and Technology with expert analysis. * Top 10 AI Stocks - Leading AI companies * Top 10 Crypto Stocks - Blockchain leaders * Top 10 Tech Stocks - Tech giants