Research, analysis, and perspectives on the built world.
Nuclear adjacency has moved from a secondary consideration to an explicit site screening criterion for data center developers in 2026. This post covers the five dimensions of nuclear-adjacent evaluation, the FERC colocation framework, and AI's role in screening -- alongside what still requires direct relationships and engineering judgment.
June 24, 2026 ·5 min read
TrendForce revised its 2026 hyperscaler capex forecast to $830 billion -- 79% year-over-year growth. This post explains the structural shift toward hyperscaler ownership, which markets are absorbing the overflow, and the capital structure implications for independent data center developers competing for acquisition premium.
June 24, 2026 ·5 min read
MEP coordination failures are the most common source of construction delay on data center projects. This post breaks down where AI can move conflict detection earlier -- clash detection, submittal compliance, sequencing logic validation, RFI pattern monitoring -- and where human engineering judgment is still required.
June 24, 2026 ·5 min read
North American colocation vacancy hit 0.3% in Northern Virginia and 1% in Atlanta in Q1 2026, with 73% of the pipeline preleased before completion. This post explains how those market conditions change colocation underwriting, how colo and hyperscale development differ in practice, and where developers are finding viable opportunity in a supply-constrained market.
June 23, 2026 ·4 min read
Most data center development schedules fail between load study submission and energization -- a gap that can exceed four years in constrained markets. This post breaks down the five-stage power delivery workflow, what AI can monitor at each stage, and how leading developers are tracking utility milestones as financial risk management rather than construction coordination.
June 23, 2026 ·5 min read
Long context windows and RAG pipelines are the two main AI architectures for document-heavy workflows in institutional real estate development. This post explains when each approach is correct, where each breaks down, and why the strongest production architecture for data center due diligence combines both -- with context caching for cost control.
June 23, 2026 ·5 min read
FERC's June 2026 action on Docket RM26-4-000 establishes the first national framework governing how large electrical loads above 20 MW connect to the U.S. interstate transmission system. This piece explains what the rule requires, who it hits first, and the five actions data center developers should take before the compliance period closes.
June 22, 2026 ·5 min read
Power transformer lead times from major manufacturers have reached 48-60 months in 2026, with Tier 1 suppliers booked through 2030. This post explains the five-stage electrical procurement workflow that works in today's market, from pre-LOI utility confirmation through continuous schedule monitoring, and the budget implications developers must model now.
June 22, 2026 ·5 min read
Training and inference AI workloads require fundamentally different data center designs: site selection logic, cooling architecture, electrical infrastructure, and underwriting frameworks diverge at nearly every level. This explainer maps those differences and explains why a mixed-design compromise serves neither workload well.
June 22, 2026 ·5 min read