With evolving design considerations and state restrictions, hyperscalers continue to pursue multibillion-dollar data center builds, keeping them front and center on builders’ radar.
As summer turned to fall, the data center headlines kept piling up in construction.
From walls that would need to be 4.5 feet thick to muffle the noise emanating from these facilities to new state-level restrictions and an acceleration in spending, data centers continued to dominate builders’ attention over the last month.
Read on to catch up on the various factors impacting the artificial intelligence buildout.
Contractors strive to be “active listeners” to community concerns, but say scrutiny has done little to cool demand. Read the full article ➔
Developers are responding to hurdles by embracing flexibility and alternative technologies once considered too unwieldy. Read the full article ➔
The biggest consequences from Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s executive order limiting state assistance and expedited permitting aren’t yet known, an attorney told Construction Dive. Read the full article ➔
Data center developers must disclose energy and water use, pay more for grid infrastructure and undergo environmental review under seven bills Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Monday. Read the full article ➔
The fact that even Texas has taken steps to slow the speed of data center development should be a wake-up call for the teams building them, writes an executive search professional. Read the full article ➔
Ultra-thick walls aren’t practical, so setbacks should be at least 1,500 feet, says Kasey Fowler-Finn of Saint Louis University. Read the full article ➔
Community pushback against data centers might be alleviated by sustainable construction and operations, a U.S. Green Building Council executive said at the 2026 Greenbuild conference. Read the full article ➔
“Frankly, it’s becoming difficult to contextualize the size and speed of this boom,” said Anirban Basu, ABC chief economist. Read the full article ➔
The win for the subsidiary of Tutor Perini reflects the heavy civil contractor's priority shift toward data centers, which it emphasized on recent earnings calls. Read the full article ➔
Plus, Fortis Construction expands its manufacturing and tech unit and NIBS’ CEO joins a federal advisory committee. Read the full article ➔
Plus, Turner delivers a $29 million substance use treatment center, CMAA names a new CEO and a British engineering firm crosses the pond. Read the full article ➔
Constellation Energy has signed 20-year power purchase agreements with both Google and Amazon in the last week, supporting almost 1.1 GW of nuclear expansions. Read the full article ➔
Matt Landek, who served as global president of data centers and critical environments at JLL, was hired as president and CEO of L5 Mission Critical. Read the full article ➔
