September 24, 2026 — curated links and takeaways.
1. Thinking Machines Lab Signs $65M Annual Deal for Crusoe Cloud Inference
Thinking Machines Lab committed $65M annually to Crusoe for inference workloads on September 23, 2026. This signals sustained demand for alternative inference providers beyond hyperscaler clouds, with multi-year contracts now the infrastructure norm.
2. Power first: AI data center siting now starts at the substation
Grid access, not fiber or location, now determines where AI data centers get built; satellite tracking shows AI factory capacity tripled in 18 months. Infrastructure teams must now negotiate directly with regional power utilities before purchasing compute or signing long-term capacity agreements.
3. United States AI Data Centers Market (2035): Grid Access, 1-MW AI Racks, Liquid Cooling & Gigawatt-Scale Infrastructure Reshape U.S. Data Center Expansion
The U.S. Department of Energy launched COOLERCHIPS 1.5 on August 26, 2026 to develop cooling systems handling 1 MW per AI rack. Thermal density is now a primary constraint; builders and operators need validated cooling solutions to meet 2027–2028 capacity targets.
4. AI-focused colocation signings increased from 89 MW in 2025 H1 to 420 MW in 2026 H1, with 66% in Nordic markets
AI colocation demand grew 4.7x year-over-year in first half of 2026, with Nordic capacity dominating due to cheaper power and cooling. Companies evaluating multi-year compute commitments should expect increased geographic arbitrage and longer lead times for non-Nordic capacity.