Permit hurdles push up costs for AI data centers; Oracle pivoted from gas turbines to costlier fuel cells for its Project Jupiter in NM, costing billions more
THE SO WHAT
Power is no longer just a line item in AI infra budgets — it’s a permitting and technology risk that can swing projects by billions when gas turbines get swapped for “permittable” options like fuel cells. If you’re planning large campuses, model power tech, permitting timelines, and community politics explicitly in your TCO, not as afterthoughts.
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