Facing Backlash on Land, Data Centers Look to the Sea

A facts-only brief, written by a local AI model from this article in The Wall Street Journal, November 14, 2026. It may contain mistakes, and it is not the article: the full story is at wsj.com.

Startups are proposing floating or underwater data centers to circumvent local opposition to land-based facilities and utilize seawater for cooling and power generation. In May, Portland-based Panthalassa raised $140 million to construct 278-foot steel structures that will power artificial intelligence computing using wave electricity while floating untethered in the Pacific Ocean. The company plans to test its next-generation system later this year and begin commercial deployment in 2027. Other developers, including Mocean Energy and Ocean Power Technologies, have announced similar initiatives to place AI servers on offshore floats or buoys powered by waves, wind, and solar energy.

Background

• Critics such as Bryson Robertson and Michael Barnard warn that ocean-based facilities face significant hurdles, including salt corrosion, high maintenance costs, and the difficulty of steering unanchored machines during storms.
• Environmental groups oppose some projects, with Kristen Monsell of the Center for Biological Diversity arguing that increased boat traffic and noise in the Bay of Fundy could endanger endangered whale populations.
• Mocean Energy states its prototype generated about 10 kilowatts during a 13-month test in spring 2024, with a goal of delivering 500 kilowatts per unit and reaching gigawatt-scale capacity within five years.
• DeepGreen Holdings is applying for federal permits to study tidal-powered underwater data centers off the coasts of Maine and Alaska, while Mitsui O.S.K. Lines considers converting ships into moored floating data centers.

Read the full article at wsj.com

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