Issue #15
29 July 2026
Editor's Note
This week's newsletter covers a broad spread of activity across all three regions, with a few stories that are worth reading beyond the headline. Hut 8 fully leasing its 1GW AI campus before it has even launched is probably the standout. It is a reminder that in this market, the most sought-after capacity is spoken for long before it comes online, and developers who can demonstrate power certainty and execution credibility are securing commitments that others cannot.
Elsewhere, Meta's solar PPA in Louisiana alongside its $50 billion Hyperion campus nearby shows how the largest players are managing their energy commitments across multiple instruments simultaneously. And the wind-powered data center breaking ground in Hokkaido is a genuinely interesting example of how Japan is approaching the intersection of renewable energy and AI infrastructure in a market with specific land and grid constraints.
North America
- How Hut 8 Fully Leased Its 1GW AI Campus Before Launch
Fully preleased before a single server is switched on. The strongest signal yet that demand for credible, power-secured capacity is running well ahead of supply.
- Meta inks 172MW solar PPA with Lightsource BP in Acadia Parish, Louisiana
Meta is now managing multiple energy instruments across its Louisiana footprint simultaneously. The Hyperion campus at 5GW needs a diversified energy strategy and this is part of it.
- PowerHouse and Poe target another 550-acre data center campus outside Louisville, Kentucky
Kentucky keeps appearing. Anthropic's TeraWulf lease, and now this. A state that was not on most shortlists two years ago is building a case as a serious emerging market.
EMEA
- Volta Data Centres appoints Jason Liggins as CEO
Leadership appointments at growing operators matter. Volta has been building its UK and European presence and a new CEO signals the next phase of that growth.
- Two data centers planned in Pregnana Milanese, Italy
Milan and its surrounding area continue to attract development interest. Italy is one of the faster-growing EMEA markets and Pregnana Milanese's proximity to Milan's connectivity infrastructure makes it a logical location.
- Gdańsk University of Technology in Poland submits bid to host Gaia AI Factory
Academic institutions competing to host national AI infrastructure is an interesting development. Poland is quietly positioning itself as one of Central Europe's more serious AI infrastructure markets.
Asia Pacific
- Indian cloud company Utho aims to buy 10,000 GPUs in next two years
India's domestic cloud market is maturing. Operators building GPU capacity locally rather than routing through global hyperscalers reflects growing confidence in local demand and regulatory environment.
- South Korea's Naver confirms it will expand Sejong data center to 200MW
South Korea's largest internet company expanding its own infrastructure signals growing domestic AI workload demand beyond what cloud providers alone can serve.
- Eurus Energy & Toyota break ground on wind-powered data center in Hokkaido, Japan
Toyota in a data center project is not something anyone predicted. Hokkaido's cooler climate and renewable energy resources make it a logical location for Japan's next wave of AI infrastructure.
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