Oracle Corp. (NYSE:ORCL) shares fell 1.8% on Wednesday after infrastructure data provider Aterio reported that the company’s planned artificial intelligence data centre campus in Wisconsin could face delays related to its connection to the regional electricity grid.
The reported delays have not been confirmed by Oracle. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Aterio’s findings.
Vantage Data Centers is developing the 500-acre “Project Lighthouse” campus for Oracle in Port Washington, Wisconsin. Physical construction is progressing, with permits secured and two of the four planned buildings already enclosed, according to the report.
Power Connection Required Before Operations Can Begin
Aterio said the campus cannot begin operating its computing infrastructure until American Transmission Co., the local transmission utility, constructs a new high-voltage power line connecting the site to the wider electricity network.
The transmission project is currently undergoing further regulatory review.
According to Aterio, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin revoked an initial approval for the transmission project and restarted its legal review period after the developers submitted hundreds of changes to the project’s scope.
The revised regulatory timetable could affect when electricity becomes available to the data centre campus.
Aterio Estimates Meaningful Power Could Arrive in Early 2028
Oracle has been targeting the second half of 2027 to begin using the Wisconsin site.
Under what Aterio described as its most likely scenario, meaningful electricity supply would not reach the campus until early 2028.
The research firm also outlined a scenario in which the state regulatory review takes a full year, a timeframe it said is standard for utility projects of this scale. Under that scenario, the campus might not reach its full power capacity until April 2029.
These timelines are estimates from Aterio and have not been confirmed by Oracle or the Wisconsin regulators.
Report Follows Update on New Mexico Project
The Wisconsin report follows an update concerning “Project Jupiter,” a separate large-scale Oracle campus in New Mexico.
Oracle recently warned that it could delay payments related to the New Mexico project, citing delays involving gas pipelines and outstanding air permits.
The company has maintained that the New Mexico site remains on schedule.
The developments at the two projects highlight the infrastructure and regulatory requirements involved in constructing large-scale data centre campuses, including access to electricity and other utilities.
Oracle had not provided a response to Aterio’s Wisconsin report at the time covered by the source information.
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