Data Center View - April 11, 2025 - Related launches data center arm

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NEWS ROUNDUP

EXPANSION: Related launches data center arm. Related Companies is making an entrance into digital infrastructure with the launch of Related Digital, a vertically integrated data center platform. With $500 million in investor commitments already secured and a development pipeline valued at over $45 billion, the platform reflects one of the most ambitious data center initiatives to date. Related Digital aims to raise $8 billion to fund its development efforts, with construction expected to begin in the second half of 2025. Related Cos. CEO Jeff Blau will also serve as CEO of Related Digital. Brent Behrman, former executive at CyrusOne, has been named CIO, while Greg Myers, previously of Vista Equity Partners, steps in as CFO. The platform's first project, a 64-megawatt expansion in Ontario, Canada, is slated for delivery this summer. Beyond that, Related Digital’s pipeline includes over 5 gigawatts of capacity in key U.S. markets, with major projects planned in Illinois (1 GW), Missouri (1.2 GW), and Wyoming (250 MW).

DEVELOPMENT: Developer pitches 1,000-acre data center in Illinois. A sprawling new data center development known as Project Cardinal is being proposed for Yorkville, Illinois. Envisioned as a transformative economic development, the campus would span approximately 1,037 acres and ultimately include 14 data center buildings, along with two electrical substations, a utility switchyard, and multiple stormwater detention ponds.

DEVELOPMENT: Four-building campus proposed in Indiana. A major new data center development is being proposed in Franklin Township, southeast Indianapolis. Operating under the affiliate name Deep Meadows, the developer has submitted a plan to rezone approximately 468 acres of land from agricultural and residential to a commercial special district to allow for data center operations. Known as “Project Flo,” the proposed data center campus would encompass four buildings, according to initial site plans. While full details regarding the scope, timeline, or power capacity of the project have yet to be released, the scale of the land acquisition signals a potentially significant investment in Indianapolis' digital infrastructure footprint.

M&A: Salute acquires ADCC Group. Salute has acquired Advanced Data Center Consulting Group (ADCC Group). The move is set to accelerate Salute’s AI infrastructure expansion and deepen its expertise across next-generation data center operations. Leading the integration is John Shultz, Founder and Executive Consultant of ADCC, whose team will now drive the development of advanced AI training across all operational levels, from executive leadership to frontline staff.

ENERGY: Schneider Electric to invest $700 million in US grid. Schneider Electric has unveiled plans for a landmark $700 million investment into U.S. energy infrastructure, signaling a bold response to the surging power demands driven by artificial intelligence and data center expansion. The investment, the largest single outlay in the company’s 135-year history, will fund “smart factory transformations” at eight manufacturing facilities across North Carolina, Texas, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Ohio, and Missouri through 2027. “We stand at an inflection point for the technology and industrial sectors in the U.S., driven by incredible AI growth and unprecedented energy demand,” said Aamir Paul, Schneider Electric’s President of North America Operations. Ruben Llanes, CEO of Schneider’s digital grid business, emphasized the company’s commitment to local manufacturing.

READ: Head of Alibaba amazed at US data center growth.

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