Oracle's Wisconsin AI datacenter could miss its planned 2027 start date because the transmission infrastructure needed to power it is awaiting regulatory approval. Research company Aterio warns that Project Lighthouse, being developed by Vantage in Port Washington with Oracle as tenant, faces a real risk of slipping beyond Big Red's target of delivering capacity to customers in the second half of next year.
Separately, Oracle reportedly sent a force majeure notice to a Blue Owl Capital subsidiary developing Project Jupiter in New Mexico. Bloomberg reported that Oracle was seeking to defer payments if the campus failed to come online as planned, rather than withdraw from the project. Oracle says the development remains on schedule.
The immediate obstacle is American Transmission Company's (ATC) application to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) for approval to build the campus's grid connection. ATC is planning more than $2 billion in transmission infrastructure projects tied to datacenter developments across Wisconsin.
Aterio's earliest scenario puts partial power in October 2027 and full supply in August 2028, although it considers that timetable highly unlikely. Its base case puts partial power in December 2027 and full supply in October 2028. Even December 2027 power delivery would leave little room for testing and commissioning before Oracle's deadline.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing