What is a construction “gigaproject,” beyond an amped-up marketing term for the comparatively modest “megaprojects”? Think initiatives with expenses of well over $1 billion and time periods of well over five years. Think...more
9/2/2025
/ Compensation ,
Construction Contracts ,
Construction Project ,
Contract Management ,
Contract Negotiations ,
Design-Build ,
Infrastructure ,
Procurement Guidelines ,
Project Management ,
Real Estate Development ,
Risk Management ,
Risk Mitigation
In its first nine months, the Trump administration has taken multiple actions impacting offshore wind development and generating substantial uncertainty as to the industry’s future in the United States. Those actions have...more
8/27/2025
/ Clean Energy ,
Department of the Interior ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Reform ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Executive Orders ,
Infrastructure ,
Offshore Lease ,
Offshore Wind ,
One Big Beautiful Bill Act ,
Permits ,
Popular ,
Real Estate Development ,
Renewable Energy ,
Trump Administration
A new Executive Order directs agencies to accelerate federal permitting and environmental review processes for large-scale AI data center projects and supporting components. The DOE has designated four federal sites for...more
The question frequently arises for participants in a nationwide construction contracting industry. Simply stated, is a licensed contractor in good standing in State A permitted to offer to contract for or to perform work...more
8/6/2025
/ Construction Contracts ,
Construction Project ,
General Contractors ,
Infrastructure ,
Interstate Commerce ,
Land Developers ,
License Applications ,
Licensing Rules ,
Multistate Employers ,
Permits ,
Real Estate Development ,
Reciprocity Rules ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Subcontractors ,
Urban Planning & Development
Structuring power purchase agreements (PPAs) to match data center load profiles, align development milestones across power and data center development activities, and support the operational needs is essential for both power...more
On June 27, 2025, the Texas Supreme Court issued its long-awaited decision in Cactus Water Services, LLC v. COG Operating, LLC, No. 23-0676, resolving a high-stakes dispute over the ownership of produced water—a vexing...more
The IEA’s 2025 Global Critical Minerals Outlook reveals a market at a crossroads: While demand for energy transition and other minerals continues to surge, investment and supply diversification are not keeping pace....more
6/23/2025
/ China ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Energy Sector ,
Export Controls ,
G7 ,
International Energy Agency (IEA) ,
Investment ,
Minerals ,
National Security ,
Popular ,
Supply Chain
As a law firm, Pillsbury’s experience with data centers dates to the dot-com era, when I advised on buildouts in Silicon Valley and New York City and Jamie Bobotek advised on centers of America On-Line (then spelled out!) and...more
On June 9, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed granting the State of Texas primary enforcement authority—commonly referred to as “primacy”—over the permitting and regulation of Class VI underground...more
6/13/2025
/ Carbon Capture and Sequestration ,
Drinking Water ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Oil & Gas ,
Permits ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Safe Drinking Water Act ,
State and Local Government ,
Texas ,
Underground Injection Wells
Texas has responded to rapid electrical load growth with legislative reforms. On June 1, 2025, Texas Senate Bill 6 (SB 6), passed both chambers of the Legislature with bipartisan support and was sent to Governor Abbott for...more
The rapid growth of electricity demand from data centers has emerged as a major challenge for the U.S. power sector. Much of this demand is being driven by the deployment of large learning models (LLMs) and generative...more
In a closely watched opinion issued on May 16, 2025, the Texas Supreme Court in Myers-Woodward, LLC v. Undergrounds Services Markham, LLC, — S.W.3d —, No. 22-0878, 2025 WL 1415892 (Tex. May 16, 2025) resolved a long-uncertain...more
The ever-increasing demand for digital infrastructure, coupled with continuing cryptocurrency demand volatility, has generated significant interest in transforming building improvements housing crypto mining farms into modern...more
On April 7, the Office of Policy for U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published a Request for Information (RFI) seeking input from industry professionals, grid operators, local communities, Tribal governments, and other...more
On March 20, 2025, the Trump administration invoked emergency powers in an Executive Order (EO) entitled Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production, aiming to accelerate domestic mineral mining and processing....more
3/27/2025
/ Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Department of the Interior ,
Energy Sector ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Funding ,
Investment ,
Mineral Extraction ,
Minerals ,
Mining ,
National Security ,
Permits ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Supply Chain ,
Trump Administration
Critical minerals are the backbone of modern technologies and national security, powering everything from advanced semiconductors and electric vehicle batteries to missile guidance systems and renewable energy infrastructure....more
3/14/2025
/ China ,
Clean Energy ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Energy Sector ,
Executive Orders ,
International Trade ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mineral Extraction ,
National Security ,
Renewable Energy ,
Semiconductors ,
Supply Chain ,
Trump Administration
By one count, worldwide there were some 11,800 data centers in early 2024. Within that census are facilities so small that they fit in office building closets, while others are among the largest manmade structures on the...more
2/28/2025
/ Cloud Computing ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Centers ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
Electricity ,
Energy Sector ,
Information Technology ,
Infrastructure ,
Innovative Technology ,
Renewable Energy ,
Technology Sector
As we covered previously, President Trump has made clear that the U.S. is focused on increasing investments into building, scaling and speeding the development of AI infrastructure and data centers in the U.S., and Big Tech...more
2/28/2025
/ Apple ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Big Tech ,
Data Centers ,
Energy Sector ,
Infrastructure ,
Innovation ,
Innovative Technology ,
Investment ,
Machine Learning ,
Manufacturers ,
Renewable Energy ,
Technology Sector
In just over a week, the second Trump administration has already announced initiatives that could lead to major shifts in the legal landscape for artificial intelligence (AI) and associated energy sources. What is more, the...more
Critical materials—the collective term for metals and minerals essential for all kinds of advanced technology and clean energy—are vital to the growth of artificial intelligence (AI), which has become pervasive in everyday...more
With a renewed focus on domestic energy production and regulatory reform, the incoming administration signals significant shifts in U.S. energy and climate priorities.
The incoming Trump Administration will prioritize...more
12/19/2024
/ China ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Energy Costs ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
Export Bans ,
Geothermal Energy ,
Grants ,
Hydrogen Power ,
Incentives ,
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ,
Infrastructure ,
Keystone XL Pipeline ,
Liquid Natural Gas ,
Minerals ,
Nuclear Power ,
Oil & Gas ,
Paris Agreement ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Renewable Energy ,
Renewable Fuel ,
Solar Energy ,
Tax Credits ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ,
Trump Administration ,
UNFCCC ,
Wind Power
The decision signals potential new scrutiny for co-located energy generation and data center projects as concerns grow about grid impacts.
Although decided primarily on procedural grounds, the Federal Energy Regulatory...more
On October 3, 2024, the Department of Energy Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to fund up to $400 million for clean energy projects in rural and remote areas via its Energy...more
Traditional and social media are thick with reports and predictions of the remarkable increase in size, power consumption and significance of data centers. Not only technology companies but real estate and energy developers,...more
Artificial intelligence, data centers, carbon removal and zero-emission power may sound like a winning line (plus the Free Space) on a 2024 Buzzword Bingo card. But the concepts have come into dramatic real-world tension as...more
9/12/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Data Centers ,
Electricity ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
Green Energy ,
Infrastructure ,
Innovative Technology ,
Renewable Energy ,
Technology Sector