Global AI Race Ignites Data Center Gold Rush: Firms Bet $2.35B on Modular Megawatts

APLD Compute Co LLC, Subsidiary of Applied Digital Corporation Intends to Offer $2.35 Billion Aggregate Principal Amount of Senior Secured Notes Due 2030 in Private Offering.="" a="" body="" citation="" information="" paragraph="" requires="" some="" that="" with=""> In a significant move to bolster global data infrastructure, APLD Compute Co LLC, a subsidiary of Applied Digital Corporation, announced plans to raise $2.35 billion through senior secured notes to fund the construction of two 100-megawatt and 150-megawatt data centers in North Dakota. The funds will also be used to repay existing debt and establish a debt service reserve account. This expansion aligns with the growing demand for high-capacity computing, driven by artificial intelligence and cloud services. The project, part of Applied Digital's 400-megawatt Ellendale data center campus, underscores the sector's pivot toward large-scale, modular infrastructure to support next-generation workloads, as reported in the Marketscreener report.

Solaris Energy Infrastructure : November 2025 Investor Presentation Presentation.="" and="" another="" body="" continuing="" data="" from="" narrative="" paragraph="" perhaps="" source="" the="" using=""> Meanwhile, Solaris Energy Infrastructure outlined a strategic pivot toward energy solutions tailored for industrial data centers. In its November 2025 investor presentation, the company highlighted plans to reach 2.2 gigawatts of operated capacity by 2028, with 1.75 gigawatts net owned. The firm emphasized its highly contracted power solutions, including a joint venture with a seven-year lease agreement, to meet surging demand from cloud and AI-driven facilities.

Solaris also cited evolving data center power needs, noting that next-generation GPU clusters now require 500+ kilowatts per rack, up from 5-15 kilowatts in traditional setups, as detailed in the Marketscreener presentation.

Dow Jones Top Company Headlines at 1 PM ET: SoftBank Sells Its Nvidia Stake for $5.8 Billion to Fund OpenAI Bet | Sony ....="" and="" another="" body="" continuing="" data="" from="" narrative="" paragraph="" perhaps="" source="" the="" using=""> The data center boom is being mirrored by major tech firms expanding their AI infrastructure. Microsoft and Google announced a combined $16 billion investment to expand AI capabilities in Europe, with projects in Portugal and Germany. Microsoft's commitment builds on its recent partnership with OpenAI, while Google's Pixel updates, including AI-powered message summaries and notification prioritization, reflect a broader industry push to integrate generative AI into consumer products. These moves come as companies like CoreWeave report a $55 billion sales backlog, driven by rapid AI-driven dealmaking, according to the Morningstar report.

Array Digital Infrastructure Inc (AD) Q3 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Site Rental ....="" and="" another="" body="" continuing="" data="" from="" narrative="" paragraph="" perhaps="" source="" the="" using=""> Financially, the sector is seeing aggressive capital allocation to sustain growth. Array Digital Infrastructure Inc (NYSE:AD) reported a 68% year-over-year increase in site rental revenue in Q3 2025, driven by its T-Mobile Master Lease Agreement. However, the company faces challenges, including disputes with DISH Wireless and wind-down costs from legacy operations. Despite these hurdles, Array's pending $1 billion AT&T transaction, expected to close in Q4 2025 or H1 2026, highlights the sector's resilience in monetizing infrastructure assets, as noted in the Yahoo Finance earnings call.

Dow Jones Top Company Headlines at 11 AM ET: SoftBank Sells Its Nvidia Stake for $5.8 Billion to Fund OpenAI Bet | Sony ....="" and="" another="" body="" continuing="" data="" from="" narrative="" paragraph="" perhaps="" source="" the="" using=""> The momentum is further underscored by AMD's upcoming analyst day, where the chipmaker is expected to unveil a revised AI roadmap. With rivals like Nvidia securing $5.8 billion from SoftBank to fund OpenAI bets, the competition for AI dominance is intensifying, as reported in the Morningstar report. This environment is fueling a global race to secure energy-efficient, high-capacity data centers, as evidenced by South Korea's planned $35 billion AI-designed facility—the world's first of its kind, according to the Morningstar report.