ComputingInfrastructure

Major 500-Acre Technology Campus Proposed in Pinal County Amid Data Center Expansion

A 500-acre data center campus could transform land northeast of Phoenix following a key zoning recommendation. The proposed development faces both support and opposition as Pinal County experiences a surge in technology infrastructure projects.

Major Zoning Decision Advances Technology Campus Proposal

A substantial 500-acre data center campus may soon be developed near Phoenix, Arizona, according to recent reports from Pinal County planning officials. Sources indicate the Planning and Zoning Commission voted on October 16 to recommend approval for redesignating the large land parcel from residential to employment and public facilities designations, specifically for what documents describe as “an energy generation and technology campus.”

InfrastructureTechnology

Hyperscale Data Centers Shift to 21-Inch Rack Standard for Enhanced AI Cooling Capabilities

Major cloud providers are transitioning to 21-inch rack formats to address cooling challenges in AI-optimized data centers. According to industry reports, the larger standard enables better airflow and direct-to-chip liquid cooling while accommodating modular server architectures. Analysts project the format will dominate server shipments by the end of the decade.

Industry Shift Toward Larger Rack Formats

Hyperscale data center operators are increasingly adopting 21-inch rack formats to meet the demanding cooling requirements of artificial intelligence infrastructure, according to recent industry analysis. Reports indicate that major cloud service providers including Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Google, ByteDance, Huawei, and Oracle have standardized on the larger format, which originated through the Open Compute Project (OCP).