Saturday, 12 September 2026

Satellite imagery dated July 11 showed 720 Tesla Megapack battery containers on the grounds of the Colossus 2 data center, according to a count by Canary Media.

The installation sits at xAI's Memphis AI computing hub, which Canary Media describes as controversial. The outlet reported that xAI has built what may be the biggest battery in the U.S. there.

Canary Media derived the container tally from the imagery itself rather than from a company disclosure.

More than half of Maryland's local jurisdictions have moved to freeze data center development, according to Inside Climate News. Fourteen of the state's 24 local jurisdictions have imposed temporary bans on new projects.

The pushback follows sharp increases in household power costs. Residential energy bills in Maryland rose 44% between 2020 and 2025, an increase advocates attribute in large part to data center demand, Inside Climate News reported, citing a letter from opponents.

Jomar Lloyd of Food & Water Watch said Maryland paid USD 108 million for data center-related transmission costs in 2024.

A statewide response has stalled in the legislature. HB 120, a Republican-led bill calling for a statewide data center moratorium, died in committee during the 2026 legislative session, according to Inside Climate News.

The issue now moves into the gubernatorial race. Governor Wes Moore will face Republican challenger Dan Cox, who has supported a statewide ban on hyperscale data centers. Moore believes data center developers, not Maryland ratepayers, should bear their projects' power costs, spokesperson Rhyan Lake said in a statement to Inside Climate News.