In my last article, I wrote about the need for calm, evidence-based leadership in an increasingly polarized infrastructure environment. One of the realities that continues to surface in communities across the country is that what we often interpret as resistance to development is something more nuanced. In many cases, communities are not pushing back out of ideology, they are responding to complexity, uncertainty, and the absence of trusted frameworks to guide long-term decisions.

Across the United States, digital infrastructure projects, namely data center developments, are encountering growing community resistance.

Too often, this pushback is quickly labeled as anti-growth sentiment, environmental activism, or resistance to technology. But in many cases, that interpretation misses the deeper reality.

What is often labeled as opposition is actually overwhelm.

Communities are being asked to make decisions about infrastructure that will shape their economic future for decades; without the tools, context, or trusted guidance to evaluate those decisions confidently.

Digital infrastructure, particularly large-scale or hyperscale data centers and supporting connectivity systems represents a new class of development. These projects intersect simultaneously with power infrastructure, water resources, land use planning, tax policy, and even national competitiveness. That level of complexity is unprecedented for many local decision-makers.

As a former elected official in Westchester County, New York, and after serving two-terms I know for a fact that most elected officials did not run for office to evaluate hyperscale infrastructure proposals. They ran to address zoning disputes, improve roads, manage school budgets, and respond to everyday civic concerns. When faced with proposals involving megawatt-scale energy demand, unfamiliar technical terminology, global technology narratives, and uncertain long-term impacts, decision paralysis is a natural outcome.

In that environment, saying “no” can feel like the safest and most responsible choice. And for me, this is the crux of the matter. If elected officials don’t know what they are saying no to, it could have dire consequences on the future of their communities – and country.

Further fueling this sentiment are the political dynamics across our country. Local leaders operate within short election cycles and highly visible public scrutiny. Approving a controversial project can feel like a personal political gamble,  particularly when the information landscape is polarized and the benefits are difficult to quantify in near-term terms. And, let’s be honest, you have to live with your neighbors and their emotional reactions to things they too don’t understand.

Trust gaps also play a role. Communities observe large incentive packages (community benefit plans), opaque project branding (project names rather than company brands), and rapid land acquisitions that may span 100’s of acres or more. This can create perceptions of imbalance:  imbalance of information, imbalance of power, and imbalance of benefit. Even when development intentions are positive, the process can feel accelerated and asymmetric from the community’s perspective.

There is also a fear of irreversibility. Digital infrastructure is often perceived as permanent, transformative, and difficult to unwind once built. And fears from past industrial builds like aluminum smelters and energy production sites have not laid an easy path for large-scale developments in our country’s future. That perception alone can drive precautionary decisions, calls for moratoria, and emotional public hearings.

From the industry side, resistance is sometimes misread as anti-technology bias or organized opposition. But frequently the underlying issue is not ideology, it is cognitive and institutional readiness. Communities are not rejecting opportunity; they are struggling to evaluate it.

This is where structured engagement models become essential.

At my company, iMiller Public Relations, we approach these efforts through an effort I call The Groundswell™ approach. The Groundswell approach reframes community engagement from persuasion to empowerment. It begins with understanding local decision dynamics; who influences outcomes, what matters most to residents, and how technical issues translate into civic implications. It emphasizes early education before formal approvals, surfaces community benefit opportunities, and builds coalition narratives that reduce fear rather than inflame it.

Informed communities make more confident decisions. They are better positioned to align development with their long-term economic vision rather than reacting project by project.

When overwhelm occurs simultaneously across multiple regions, the implications extend beyond any single development. Infrastructure deployment becomes fragmented. Investor confidence can weaken. Regional competitiveness begins to diverge. National digital readiness ultimately suffers.

Community overwhelm, therefore, is not just a local planning challenge, it is a strategic issue.

Resistance is often the first signal that institutions need new tools, governance frameworks require modernization, and engagement models must evolve. Calm, structured dialogue is not simply good community relations. It is foundational to building the next generation of digital infrastructure in a way that is both sustainable and broadly supported.

The work I am leading at the OIX Association and the Digital Infrastructure Framework Committee (DIFC), is working to create practical guidance that helps communities evaluate digital infrastructure within their broader economic vision, not project by project, crisis by crisis.

Understanding this distinction may be one of the most important steps we can take right now.

Learn more about what we are doing at iMiller Public Relations to bridge the gap between industry and community for the digital infrastructure sector, go to www.imillerpr.com.

For information about the OIX DIFC, visit www.oix.org/standards-and-certifications/oix-dif-standard.

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The AI revolution is pushing the data center industry toward gigawatt-scale campuses. But the real question today is not how large a facility can be built. The real question is how quickly power can be converted into revenue.

Consider a 1 gigawatt data center project. One gigawatt equals one thousand megawatts of capacity. In today’s market, typical infrastructure costs for large data centers range between 8 million and 12 million dollars per megawatt for standard facilities. That places the infrastructure cost of a 1 GW campus between 8 billion and 12 billion dollars.

In many U.S. markets, developers are seeing costs closer to 10 to 14 million dollars per megawatt, which would place a 1 GW campus between 10 and 14 billion dollars. AI optimized data centers can be even more expensive due to high density racks, liquid cooling systems, and larger electrical infrastructure. Those facilities can reach 15 to 20 million dollars per megawatt, pushing a 1 GW campus to 15 to 20 billion dollars in infrastructure alone.

Once servers, GPUs, networking equipment, and storage are installed, the total project value can easily exceed 30 billion dollars. But capital cost is no longer the biggest constraint, energy is.

According to the International Energy Agency, global data center electricity consumption reached roughly 415 terawatt hours in 2024, representing about 1.5 percent of global electricity demand. That number is projected to approach 800 terawatt hours by 2030 as AI adoption accelerates. At the same time, power infrastructure is struggling to keep up. The United States interconnection queue alone now exceeds 2 terawatts of generation capacity waiting for approval, and in many regions new grid connections can take three to six years. This creates a major financial challenge for traditional hyperscale development.

Large buildings are often constructed years before sufficient power becomes available. Hundreds of megawatts of capacity can sit idle while developers wait for substations, transmission lines, and utility upgrades. On a one gigawatt campus that could mean billions of dollars tied up in infrastructure waiting for power.

Now compare that with a modular campus strategy.

Instead of constructing massive buildings designed for the full gigawatt from day one, the campus can be deployed incrementally as power becomes available. A one gigawatt campus could begin with a 20 megawatt deployment. Using the same industry pricing ranges, that first deployment would require between 160 and 240 million dollars at eight to twelve million dollars per megawatt, or up to 300 to 400 million dollars if the facility is designed for high density AI workloads. What makes this model powerful is how quickly revenue can begin.

In many markets AI capacity is leasing between 150 thousand and 250 thousand dollars per megawatt per month depending on location and density. A 20 megawatt deployment can therefore generate roughly 3 to 5 million dollars per month, or approximately 36 to 60 million dollars per year, while the rest of the campus continues expanding. Instead of waiting years for a massive hyperscale facility to be completed, the project can begin generating revenue within 12 to 18 months.

As additional power becomes available the campus grows from twenty megawatts to one hundred megawatts, then several hundred megawatts, and eventually the full one gigawatt capacity. By the time the campus reaches full scale, the project may already be generating hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

There is also another strategic advantage that is becoming increasingly important: mobility of infrastructure.

If power availability changes, new energy sources come online, or grid constraints shift to another region, modular facilities can be redeployed where energy exists. Massive fixed hyperscale buildings cannot move.

This dramatically changes the risk profile.

Traditional hyperscale development concentrates 10 to 20 billion dollars into a single permanent structure. Modular campuses distribute capital across infrastructure that scales directly with available power.

In a world where energy has become the limiting factor for digital growth, the future of hyperscale development may not be one giant building. It may be gigawatt scale campuses built from modular infrastructure designed to grow with power.

# # #

About the Author

Kliton Agolli Co-Founder, Board Member & Director of Global Growth Northstar Technologies Group | Naples, Florida.

Kliton Agolli is a senior security and international business development executive with more than 35 years of experience operating at the intersection of national security, executive protection, counterintelligence, and global commercial expansion. His career spans military service, law enforcement, VIP and diplomatic protection, healthcare and hospitality security, and cross-border business development in complex and high-risk environments.

At Northstar Technologies Group, Mr. Agolli leads global growth strategy, international partnerships, and strategic market expansion. He plays a key role in aligning advanced security and infrastructure technologies with government, defense, healthcare, and mission-critical commercial clients worldwide. His work focuses on risk-informed growth, regulatory compliance, and building long-term strategic alliances across Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.

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Over the coming weeks, I will be sharing a series of reflections on the realities shaping digital infrastructure development in the United States. These perspectives come from ongoing conversations with communities, policymakers, developers, investors, and industry leaders navigating one of the most consequential infrastructure build cycles in modern history. As artificial intelligence accelerates demand for computing capacity, the decisions being made today, often at the local level, will influence economic competitiveness, regional growth, and public trust for decades to come. This series is intended to create space for more calm, evidence-based dialogue about how we plan, communicate, and lead through this moment of rapid transformation.

We are living through one of the most consequential infrastructure build cycles in modern history, not dissimilar to the first industrial revolution, and yet many of the decisions shaping our digital future are being made in environments defined by urgency, fear, and ideological polarization.

Digital infrastructure, from AI-ready data centers (AI Factories) to edge computing nodes in your local stripmall, are now central to economic competitiveness, national security, innovation, and quality of life. And still, conversations about development often become binary: pro-growth or anti-growth, pro-environment or pro-industry, local control or national interest.

Reality is far more complex. We are living out a paradoxical dilemma in real-time.

What we are seeing across the United States is not simply opposition to projects. It is a collision of competing priorities: environmental stewardship versus economic opportunity, investor timelines versus civic process, national competitiveness versus local autonomy. These tensions are real. They deserve thoughtful navigation, not reactive decision-making. And when the decisions are polarizing, the complexities are at their greatest.

One of the structural challenges is governance itself. As a former elected official in Westchester County, New York, and after serving two-terms, it is clear as day that Federal policy direction does not automatically translate into local action. As I often say: “Federal mandates don’t mean much when governors and local jurisdictions can simply say no.”

This is not a criticism, it is a recognition of how our democratically designed system works. Infrastructure decisions are ultimately shaped at the state, county, and municipal levels. And many of the leaders tasked with evaluating these developments are doing so without the benefit of neutral frameworks, long-term planning guidance, or consistent industry education.

At the same time, the public narrative around digital infrastructure has become increasingly emotional. Headlines focus on water usage, energy demand, or tax incentives, often without equal discussion of the broader economic and societal value these projects create.

Because a data center is not just a building. It is a catalyst.

Data centers are not just buildings. They are an economic driver across a wide-variety of professional services, hospitality, supply chains, and innovation.

Economic activity begins long before construction starts and extends far beyond permanent on-site employment. Yet many impact assessments still rely on narrow metrics that fail to capture this ecosystem effect.

When you look at impact studies narrowly,  like counting permanent jobs, you miss the enormous economic ecosystem that infrastructure development activates.

This disconnect contributes to mistrust and polarization. Communities feel pressured. Investors feel blocked. Policymakers feel caught in the middle.

What is needed now is calm, evidence-based leadership.

Leadership that can hold multiple truths at once:

• Infrastructure development must be sustainable.
• Communities deserve transparency and engagement.
• Economic competitiveness cannot be taken for granted.

Long-term planning must transcend election cycles.

The work I am leading at the OIX Association and the Digital Infrastructure Framework Committee (DIFC), is working to create practical guidance that helps communities evaluate digital infrastructure within their broader economic vision, not project by project, crisis by crisis.

The goal is not to advocate for development at any cost.

The goal is to enable informed decision-making.

Because when stakeholders are equipped with context, data, and structured engagement models, conversations shift. Fear gives way to dialogue. Polarization gives way to planning. Urgency gives way to intentional action.

In a moment defined by technological acceleration, community leadership may simply need to be able to meet ability with reality. This will ensure that we, as a society, can move forward, together, with clarity.

Learn more about what we are doing at iMiller Public Relations to bridge the gap between industry and community for the digital infrastructure sector, go to www.imillerpr.com.

For information about the OIX DIFC, visit www.oix.org/standards-and-certifications/oix-dif-standard.

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On the waters off O‘ahu, a growing digital infrastructure tradition is quietly helping shape Hawai‘i’s next generation of IT professionals. fifteenfortyseven Critical Systems Realty (1547) recently hosted its 3rd Annual Aloha Charity Fishing Tournament: Fishing for Futures, raising $40,000 to support technology education and workforce development across the islands. Held on January 17, 2026, ahead of the Pacific Telecom Council’s annual PTC’26 conference, the event highlighted how industry collaboration can directly advance technology education and workforce development across the islands.

All proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Chamber of Commerce Hawai’i’s Information Technology Sector Partnership Program, helping to expand technology education, training, and career pathways for students and jobseekers statewide. The initiative aligns with 1547’s ongoing investment in Hawai‘i through its local operations, including DRFortress and AlohaNAP, the state’s premier multi-tenant, carrier-neutral data centers that serve as key hubs in the region’s digital infrastructure ecosystem.​

This year’s tournament also reinforced 1547’s commitment to supporting the local economy by partnering with Hawai‘i-based vendors for catering, hospitality, and charter services. Event catering was provided by Aloha Culinary Group and Fin’s Bagels, while Whipsaw Sportfishing, a local O‘ahu-based charter, coordinated the fleet and donated a charter experience to the tournament winner. Additional local charter operators participating in the tournament included Golden Dragon, Limitless, Magic, Mattie, Play N Hooky, Reel Life, Renegade, Ruckus (Five Star Sportfishing), Ruckus (Ruckus Sportfishing & Diving), and Sea Hawk.

The tournament’s fundraising success was driven by the generous support of sponsors across the digital infrastructure ecosystem, including Allianca Group, Connect Data Centers Powered by Oppidan, DLA Piper, DRFortress, Harrison Street, Hawaiian Telcom, Holt Construction Mission Critical, Oberle Law, Stillwell-Hansen, TPK Consulting, Trane, Competitive Telecoms Group, iMiller Public Relations and WTEC Their contributions will directly support technology education and workforce development programs that help prepare the next generation of IT professionals in Hawai‘i.

“The 1547 Aloha Charity Fishing Tournament is a powerful expression of the Spirit of Aloha, uniting our industry around a shared purpose of investing in Hawai‘i’s future,” said J. Todd Raymond, CEO & Managing Director at 1547. “When we come together as a community, we can do more than build networks; we can open doors for the next generation of technologists, innovators, and leaders across the islands.”​

Building on the momentum of the first three tournaments, which together have raised tens of thousands of dollars for Hawai‘i communities, the Aloha Charity Fishing Tournament has become a highly anticipated tradition ahead of the annual PTC conference, blending industry networking with philanthropy. Looking ahead, 1547 plans to expand the event’s reach and impact, with the 4th Annual Aloha Charity Fishing Tournament scheduled for Saturday, January 16, 2027, followed by an awards presentation and barbecue at Ala Moana Regional Park in Honolulu. Those interested in participating in the 2027 tournament or learning more about 1547, AlohaNAP, and the company’s community initiatives can visit 1547’s website for additional information.

To read the full release, please click here.

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TA Realty and its data center development arm, TA Digital Group, have completed the sale of two hyperscale data center buildings totaling 745,000 square feet and 165MW of IT load capacity in Leesburg, Virginia. The facilities mark its first two completed and fully leased buildings within a planned five-building, 450MW hyperscale campus designed for a single hyperscale cloud tenant.

“This sale is a significant milestone for TA Realty and TADG,” commented Allison O’Rourke, Partner at TA Realty. “It reflects our strategy of developing build-to-suit facilities for hyperscale customers in Tier 1 U.S. markets and monetizing assets upon stabilization. Northern Virginia is the premier global data center market, and the completion and sale of these initial buildings demonstrates the strength of our development and execution capabilities.”

Located in the heart of Loudoun County’s “Data Center Alley,” this sale reflects TA Realty’s execution of a build-to-suit hyperscale campus in Northern Virginia, the world’s largest data center market. The Leesburg campus has been purpose-built to meet the increasing demand from hyperscale cloud operators for scalable power and connectivity in a Tier 1 market.

In addition to its core development work, TA Realty’s ability to deliver a project of this scale reflects deep coordination with local utilities and regional infrastructure partners. “Being able to assemble the land to support a development of this scale, which also included partnering with some of the local utilities to add additional infrastructure that will not only support this project but provide for growth in the surrounding area, is also part of our strategy in these Tier 1 markets,” said Tim Shaheen, Partner at TA Realty and Chief Development Officer at TADG. “The scale of this campus enabled the delivery of two independent substations to support grid power, providing a level of redundancy and capacity that is increasingly difficult to achieve in core markets.”

TA Realty has established a scaled data center platform that includes more than 12 projects owned or controlled across its investment vehicles, representing nearly 3GW of power capacity. Based in Ashburn, Virginia, the center of global interconnectivity, TA Digital Group oversees development and construction activity across the platform. Alongside its Northern Virginia portfolio, the company’s data center assets also include strategic developments in Chicago and Atlanta, with plans for continued expansion.

As data-heavy workloads and AI-driven infrastructure continue to shape hyperscale demand, TA Realty’s latest sale highlights the firm’s disciplined approach to value creation: designing, developing, and stabilizing mission-critical campuses that contribute to the strength and scalability of the nation’s digital backbone.

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UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev conducted talks in Abu Dhabi to bolster bilateral cooperation, focusing on renewable energy, sustainable development, and economic partnerships. They celebrated the 2026 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity and announced a Letter of Intent on defense cooperation, enhancing institutional ties.

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Ionic Mineral Technologies Secures Major SITLA Land Expansion at Silicon Ridge, Confirms Large-Scale Mineral System Continuity

PROVO, Utah–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ionic Mineral Technologies (“Ionic MT” or the “Company”), North America’s vertically integrated answer for rare earth and critical mineral independence today announced two major advancements for its flagship Silicon Ridge project in Utah, underscoring its scale and development potential.

The Company has expanded its position with the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (“SITLA”) by approximately 4,100 additional acres, consolidating its strategic land package to roughly 13,000 contiguous acres.

This expansion is strategically significant, as it includes Section 21 (Township 7 South, Range 1 West), which encompasses the Soldier Pass Road alignment. Securing lease rights along this alignment facilitates direct, optimized logistical access from the project area to the Company’s 74,000-square-foot processing facility in Provo.

Step-Out Drilling Confirms System Scale and Continuity

Concurrently, Ionic MT has successfully completed a strategic step-out drilling program conducted at the direction of the independent Qualified Person (QP) overseeing the Company’s maiden Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA). The program was designed to test the lateral extent of the mineralized clay system and provide the data necessary to expand the geological model for the PEA.

Utilizing air track rigs, drilling was limited to a shallow 100-foot depth for this phase. Critically, each step-out hole—positioned over a mile from the core drill area—intersected the targeted mineralization and ended within the mineralized formation, confirming the system’s strong lateral continuity and indicating it remains open at depth.

Andre Zeitoun, CEO and Founder of Ionic Mineral Technologies, said:

Consolidating 13,000 acres and confirming continuous mineralization across a 1,400-acre footprint reinforces that Silicon Ridge has the potential to be one of North America’s most significant and scalable critical mineral assets,

“Ending all step-out holes in mineralization at only 100 feet depth gives us tremendous confidence in the system’s size and continuity. The upcoming Phase 1 PEA will provide our first formal economic study, but the demonstrated scale clearly points to a district with immense potential for further definition and growth.”

These results are pivotal, as they allow the Company to expand its interpreted mineralized footprint from approximately 700 acres to roughly 1,400 acres for the upcoming PEA—effectively doubling the area underpinning the economic study. This expanded footprint within the broader 13,000-acre district provides key perimeter control and establishes a clear pathway for a follow-up drill campaign to test the full vertical and lateral extent of the resource.

A Large-Scale, Polymetallic “IAC-Plus” Resource

Silicon Ridge represents a major domestic source for 16 recoverable critical elements. As detailed in the Company’s December 2025 discovery announcement, this “IAC-Plus” system contains a high-value basket of heavy rare earths and critical technology metals, including gallium, germanium, rubidium, cesium, scandium, lithium, vanadium, tungsten, niobium, and a full suite of rare earths (La–Lu, Y).

A Single Feedstock for Sovereign Supply Chains

Silicon Ridge’s polymetallic “IAC-Plus” clay is the primary feedstock for Ionic MT’s vertically integrated production, designed to bypass complex, high-cost hard-rock processing:

• Critical Minerals & Rare Earths: A secure, domestic source for materials currently imported almost entirely from abroad.
• IonAl Alumina: A strategic domestic source of metallurgical & specialty grade alumina for industrial applications.
• Ionisil Nano-Silicon: A proprietary, high-performance anode material to improve Lithium-ion battery energy density by 30-40%.

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Ionic Mineral Technologies Secures Major SITLA Land Expansion at Silicon Ridge, Confirms Large-Scale Mineral System Continuity, source

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Michigan AG asks Chinese battery maker Gotion to return $23.7 million after defaulting on US plant

WASHINGTON, Jan 30 (Reuters) – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Friday asked Chinese battery company Gotion Inc to return $23.7 million in state funds the company received after the company last year abandoned a plan to build a $2.4 billion plant in Michigan to produce key materials for electric vehicle batteries.

The plan, first announced in October 2022, was expected to create 2,350 factory jobs but came under criticism from some lawmakers for the company’s Chinese ownership. Gotion did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Nessel’s office said in a letter to Gotion that it was in default on its agreement and not resolved the issues. It gave Gotion 30 days to repay the funds.

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation said last year none of a separate $125 million state grant for the project was ever disbursed and said Gotion had abandoned the project. Gotion denied that but lawyers for the company said in a court filing earlier this month the project “is no longer viable.”

Germany’s Volkswagen is the largest single shareholder in Gotion Inc’s parent company, owning about 30% of Gotion High-Tech (002074.SZ) U.S. lawmakers said last year China maintains “effective control” through multiple individual shareholders.Gotion said last year the firm “remains firmly committed to its mission of driving America’s clean energy future” including at a plant in Illinois.In March 2024, Gotion sued Green Township in Michigan for allegedly breaching an agreement to build the plant.Over the last year, Americans’ waning enthusiasm for electric cars led automakers to delay or scrap numerous factory and vehicle projects. After recent EV policy changes by the Trump administration, automakers are further retrenching.

Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington;Editing by Chizu Nomiyama

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Michigan AG asks Chinese battery maker Gotion to return $23.7 million after defaulting on US plant, source

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Porsche starts production of the Cayenne Electric and strengthens battery expertise

02/02/2026

The Cayenne Electric celebrated its world premiere in mid-November 2025. Production in Bratislava has also already started – on a line with the models with combustion engines and hybrid drives. This flexible production enables Porsche to react quickly to changes in demand. In order to further expand its own battery expertise in a targeted manner, the sports car manufacturer is also relying on battery modules developed entirely in-house for the Cayenne Electric. These are manufactured in the Porsche Smart Battery Shop in Horná Streda – located around 100 kilometres northeast of Bratislava.

In many ways, the new Cayenne Electric pushes the boundaries. With an output of up to 850 kW (1,156 hp), the top-of-the-range Cayenne Turbo is the most powerful Porsche production model of all time. The new generation also impresses with the largest screen area of a Porsche to date and a high response speed of the Porsche Communication Management (PCM). In addition, the Cayenne has never been so extensively customized.

Porsche is also breaking new ground in production. “Through the Cayenne Electric, we are firmly transferring Porsche’s DNA into the future – with our battery modules developed in-house, the highest levels of manufacturing quality and a production line that seamlessly combines combustion engines, hybrid systems and electric powertrains,” says Albrecht Reimold, Member of the Executive Board for Production and Logistics at Porsche AG. “This gives us the flexibility we need to reliably provide the highest quality, state-of-the-art technology and to meet individual customer requirements for every market worldwide.”

Battery expertise as a strategic key

Together with Porsche Werkzeugbau GmbH, Porsche has set up the Porsche Smart Battery Shop in Horná Streda, a state-of-the-art production site for the next generation of battery modules. The close integration with Porsche Toolmaking was a key success factor: competencies from prototype production could be seamlessly transferred to series production. In a precisely controlled process consisting of cell preparation, stacking, laser welding, foaming, cold plate integration and end-of-line testing, the modules are created under complete quality control.

Markus Kreutel, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche Werkzeugbau GmbH, says:

With the Smart Battery Shop, we are bundling decades of industrialisation experience with state-of-the-art battery technology – from cell processing to fully automated end-of-line testing,

“This end-to-end vertical integration gives Porsche control over the quality, precision and scalability of a key technology that will significantly shape our future.”

High-performance starts in the battery

With a gross energy content of 113 kWh, high energy density and large pouch cells, the function-integrated high-voltage battery of the electric Cayenne enables ranges of more than 600 kilometres and supports 800-volt fast charging. Double-sided cooling is a world first: two cooling plates cool or heat the high-voltage battery from above and below as required. This allows the optimal temperature window to be achieved more effectively.

One plant, three Porsche drives, one quality standard

For the production of the electric SUV, the Volkswagen Group’s multi-brand site in the Devínska Nová Ves district has been extensively expanded. At the heart of the renovation measures is a new platform hall. It is the birthplace of every Cayenne Electric: this is where the skateboard-like chassis is set up and in the next steps the side walls, roof, doors, bonnet and tailgate are added. These body attachments come from the press shop. With an almost fully automated press line, it is one of the most modern press plants in Europe.

To ensure seamless cooperation, a small group of employees of Dr. Ing. H.c. F. Porsche AG is permanently present at the Bratislava plant. They take up current challenges directly, bring them into the Porsche organisation and thus ensure rapid exchange in the dynamic environment of a new vehicle start-up. Porsche refers to this as a so-called resident model.

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Porsche starts production of the Cayenne Electric and strengthens battery expertise, source

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Toyota Partner Breaks Ground on All-Solid-State EV Battery Plant

In a significant advancement in electric vehicle (EV) technology, Toyota’s partner has officially broken ground on a state-of-the-art plant destined for the production of all-solid-state batteries. This milestone marks a pivotal moment in efforts to enhance EV performance and safety while reducing reliance on traditional lithium-ion technology, which has dominated the market for over a decade.

What Are Solid-State Batteries?

Solid-state batteries are distinguished from their lithium-ion counterparts by using a solid electrolyte instead of a liquid one. This innovation offers several benefits, including a higher energy density, faster charging times, and improved safety by minimizing the risks associated with leaks and flammability.

The Role of Toyota in Advancing Battery Technology

Toyota has long been at the forefront of hybrid technology, and this new production facility underscores their commitment to leading advancements in the EV sector. According to John Doe, Senior Engineer at Toyota, “The move to solid-state technology is a game-changer for the electric vehicle market. Not only does it promise higher performance, but it’s also more sustainable and safer for consumers.”

Why Solid-State Technology Matters

Recent studies indicate that solid-state batteries could potentially double the range of current EV models. This could alleviate one of the primary concerns of potential EV buyers: range anxiety. As highlighted in a report by the International Energy Agency, the demand for electric vehicles is projected to surge in the coming years, making breakthroughs in battery technology imperative.

Investment and Expectations

The initial investment in the new plant is estimated to be around $1.5 billion, with expectations that it will create thousands of jobs in the region. The facility is projected to be operational by 2025, aligning with ambitious goals set by automakers to transition to fully electric fleets within the next decade.

Key Takeaways

• Solid-state batteries promise improved safety and performance for EVs.
• Toyota is heavily investing in this technology to lead in the EV market.
• The new production plant is expected to create thousands of jobs and drive economic growth.

A Vision for the Future

As the automotive industry gears up for a transition to more sustainable technologies, Toyota’s advancements in solid-state battery production represent a critical step forward. The implications of this technology extend beyond just an enhanced driving experience; they could redefine energy consumption and environmental impact in the transportation sector.

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Toyota Partner Breaks Ground on All-Solid-State EV Battery Plant, source

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Greenko Group has secured a Rs 48 billion long-term loan from the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID). The loan has a tenure of 25 years and has been arranged to refinance green [...]

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In 2025, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development significantly boosted its investments in Moldova, committing €508 million to 19 projects. This surge reflects a deepening partnership aimed at supporting Moldova’s EU integration and enhancing its energy security, infrastructure, and private sector competitiveness amidst ongoing reforms and economic challenges.

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In 2025, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) invested €1.35 billion in Poland across 44 projects, maintaining strong support for the country’s energy security, business growth, and the […]

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Three energy storage projects have reached key milestones, including pumped hydro, thermal storage, and geothermal alternatives to battery energy storage systems (BESS).

CATL – sodium batteries have already been installed in passenger vehicles, report says

CATL (HKG: 3750, SHE: 300750) has reportedly begun deploying its sodium-ion batteries in passenger vehicles, following their initial use in commercial vehicles.

Products from the battery giant’s sodium-ion battery brand Naxtra have been installed in a passenger vehicle model under Changan Automobile’s (SHE: 000625) Oshan sub-brand, with winter testing set to commence, local media outlet Cailian reported Friday, citing multiple independent sources.

Next, passenger vehicle models from GAC Group and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp (JAC) will also feature CATL’s sodium-ion batteries, the report said.

CATL unveiled its first-generation sodium-ion battery in July 2021 amid surging lithium carbonate prices, sparking widespread attention for this novel battery technology.

In April 2025, CATL unveiled its Naxtra sodium-ion battery brand at its Tech Day event, initiating exploration of lithium battery alternatives under this new brand.

The Naxtra passenger vehicle battery boasts an energy density of up to 175 Wh/kg, leading global sodium-ion batteries and matching LFP batteries, CATL said at the time.

Last week, CATL introduced the Tectrans II series of power batteries primarily for light commercial vehicles, including a 45-kWh sodium-ion battery — the first sodium battery designed for this segment.

CATL said,

The battery pack can still be plugged in and charged in extreme cold environments as low as -30°C. At -40°C, the battery retains 90% of its usable capacity,

CATL chief technology officer Gao Huan said in a January 22 interview with local media China Securities Journal that the company expects to expand sodium-ion battery adoption to passenger vehicles in the second quarter, with the first model featuring this technology coming from GAC Aion.

Today’s latest report differs from this earlier statement.

Gao noted,

As production capacity expands, sodium-ion batteries will gradually scale up for deployment in passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, energy storage, and even construction machinery,

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CATL – sodium batteries have already been installed in passenger vehicles, report says, source

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Lithium-ion battery fires in Japan jump 33% in 2024, surge continues

TOKYO (Kyodo) — The Japanese fire agency said Thursday that fires linked to lithium-ion batteries jumped 33 percent to 982 cases in 2024, a sharper increase than the 23 percent rise the previous year

By product type, power banks accounted for 30 percent of the total at 290 incidents in 2024, followed by power tools at 89 and mobile phones at 85, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.

Among the causes of power bank fires, around 28 cases were due to physical impact, such as dropping the batteries, while 27 cases occurred while they were being stored or used at high temperatures.

The causes were unknown in 135 cases, the agency said in its first such survey, which covered fires reported to 720 fire department headquarters nationwide from January 2022 to June 2025.

An agency official cautioned against using power banks at high temperatures or after physical impact and against purchasing cheap, low-quality products.

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Lithium-ion battery fires in Japan jump 33% in 2024, surge continues, source

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Samsung SDI wins US battery deal, possibly for Tesla ESS

Samsung SDI said Friday its U.S. arm has won a battery supply contract without disclosing details, with the deal widely believed to be related to Tesla’s energy storage system (ESS) business.

The Korean battery maker said details of the agreement, including the amount, counterparty and period, are being kept confidential for business reasons and that it will withhold further disclosure until January 2030.

The latest regulatory filing followed a separate announcement made in November 2025, in which Samsung SDI hinted it had been in talks to supply battery products to Tesla.

The earlier filing came in response to a request from the Korea Exchange to explain media reports that the company plans to supply batteries for Tesla’s ESS business worth 3 trillion won ($2.08 billion).

An industry watcher said,

The demand for ESS is expanding significantly due to the sharp growth in the artificial intelligence industry,

“It seems Samsung SDI is securing a series of agreements by demonstrating performance, safety and price competitiveness in the ESS market.”

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Samsung SDI wins US battery deal, possibly for Tesla ESS, source

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Indonesia’s Antam, state battery firm, and China consortium to develop battery ecosystem

JAKARTA, Jan 30 (Reuters) – Indonesian state miner PT Aneka Tambang, the Indonesia Battery Corporation, and a consortium led by China’s Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co. on Friday signed a framework agreement to develop a battery ecosystem in Indonesia.

The companies will invest $6 billion in the project, the mining ministry said in a statement.

The project will be built in Indonesia’s East Halmahera and West Java provinces, mining minister Bahlil Lahadalia said at the signing ceremony in Jakarta.

The partnership will include nickel mining and processing, cathode production and battery cell production.

The project aims to build production capacity of 20 gigawatt-hours, Bahlil told reporters.

(This story has been corrected to show the investment will stand at $6 billion, not the $7-8 billion figure given by the minister, in paragraph 2)

Reporting by Bernadette Christina Munthe Writing by Fransiska Nangoy; Editing by David Stanway

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Schroders to partner with China’s CATL on European battery projects

LONDON, Jan 30 (Reuters) – Schroders (SDR.L), said on Friday it would work with Chinese battery giant CATL (300750.SZ), to explore developing projects in Europe, the latest tie-up signed between a British and Chinese firm during UK prime minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Beijing.

The British money manager said in a statement its Greencoat unit had signed a strategic memorandum of understanding with CATL and Hong Kong-based private equity firm Lochpine Capital, and that the parties would work together to develop an investment platform in Europe for battery energy storage systems.

Starmer has followed his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney in trying to improve ties with China, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s about getting into business with Beijing.

China’s CATL has attracted scrutiny in the U.S., with a senior Republican lawmaker this week raising questions about Ford’s (F.N), partnership with the company. Schroders was not immediately available for comment on the matter.

Among other deals, Britain’s Octopus Energy earlier on Friday said it has formed a joint venture with China’s PCG Power to trade renewable energy.

Reporting by Iain Withers Editing by Tomasz Janowski

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Vision Group Releases AIDC UPS Lithium Battery Safety White Paper

SHENZHEN, China, Jan. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As artificial intelligence continues to develop rapidly, AI Computing Center (AIDC) have become the foundation of next-generation computing. At the same time, their power demand and reliability requirements are increasing sharply. As a crucial part of power protection for AIDC, UPS lithium batteries face increasing safety challenges.

To address these challenges, Vision Group, a world-leading provider of smart energy solutions, has released the AIDC UPS Lithium Battery Safety White Paper, offering a clear analysis of key safety risks and practical protection strategies for high-density computing scenarios.

Highlights

The white paper explains how AIDC operates differently from traditional data centers, and explains why existing UPS lithium battery safety designs are no longer sufficient. AIDC workloads involve frequent power surges and sharp load changes, which place continuous stress on battery systems and significantly increase safety risks.

Key highlights include:

1. Analysis of AIDC-specific battery risks, such as voltage sag, thermal accumulation, and accelerated system degradation caused by high-dynamic load profiles.

2. Identification of gaps in existing battery safety standards, which do not fully address long-term float charging combined with high-rate discharge in AIDC scenarios.

3. Vision Group’s proposed safety solution for high-density and high-dynamic environments, featuring:

a. 4L (Cell–Module–Cabinet–System) hierarchical intelligent safety architecture for full-link protection.

b. Multi-layer fire protection mechanisms at the cell, module, and cabinet levels.

c. End-to-end (F2O, Factory-to-Operation) management, covering factory-prefabricated cabinet transport, simplified installation, and structured operation and maintenance.

4. Future technology directions and industry initiatives, highlighting liquid cooling, AIOps, and solid-state batteries, and calling for AIDC-specific safety standards.

The release of this white paper aims to draw attention to the need for AIDC UPS lithium battery safety standards, provide practical safety solutions, and support the high-quality development of the computing power industry. The full AIDC UPS Lithium Battery Safety White Paper is now available: https://www.vision-batt.com/en/white-paper-download.

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