Lake Placid would play host to bobsled, luge and skeleton events for the 2026 Olympics if a track currently being rebuilt in Italy isn't finished in time for the Milan-Cortina Games, officials said Wednesday.
There has been no indication from Italian officials that the track — a century-old facility that has been dormant for nearly 20 years — won't be ready in time. Lake Placid would be serving only as a backup site, just in case.
The Olympic Regional Development Authority, which manages the sliding venue in Lake Placid, said it would engage in “targeted dialogue” with Italian organizers to “further develop the Plan B back up plan for the sliding events."
“New York State is honored to be selected, and we will work closely with Fondazione Milano Cortina to discuss the planning in a detailed manner to stage the Plan B back up plan,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
Lake Placid has played host to the Winter Games twice before, in 1932 and 1980. It isn't completely unprecedented for Olympic events to not take place anywhere near the Olympic city; for example, surfing at this summer's Paris Games took place in Tahiti and equestrian events at the 1956 Melbourne Games took place in Sweden.
“It would create a different environment, a different Olympic experience in not being with the rest of Team USA,” USA Luge CEO Scott Riewald said. “But there’s nothing like competing at an Olympics on your home turf and on your home soil. And I think it presents some great opportunities for Team USA athletes and for USA Luge athletes to compete with the best in the world on a track where we’ve had success.”
It would provide the U.S. luge, bobsled and skeleton teams with a massive advantage, since Lake Placid is their home track. American sliders tend to fare well in World Cup races in Lake Placid, and the track at Mount Van Hoevenberg will play host to the next world bobsled and skeleton championships in March.
Italy’s decision to rebuild the century-old track in Cortina at a cost of nearly $90 million has been met with fierce opposition by the International Olympic Committee. There were a number of other suggestions, such has holding sliding events at tracks in nearby Austria or Switzerland.
The Italians insist the track will be ready. Plans are in place to have work continue throughout this winter with temporary covering at the facility to shield both the track and workers from the elements. The refrigeration system will be converted to a heating mechanism to further improve conditions for those working at the site over the winter months.
But it remains unclear if sliders will be able to test the track in March as planned, and if that doesn't happen then Lake Placid could become an even more viable candidate.
“We still have to go into this planning that the games are going to be in Cortina and have to take advantage of any opportunity that we have to gather information about what that will be like,” Riewald said. “But yes, we will be thinking about how can we, if it does get to that point, take advantage of the fact that the games will be here in the U.S. and structure our preparations appropriately.”
The games will take place from Feb. 6-22, 2026.
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
Ashley Farquharson of the United States competes during the women's sprint race at the Luge World Cup in Igls near Innsbruck, Austria, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Chevonne Chelsea Forgan of the United States smiles after the women's sprint race at the Luge World Cup in Igls near Innsbruck, Austria, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Chevonne Chelsea Forgan and Sophia Kirkby of the United States compete during the women's sprint race at the Luge World Cup in Igls near Innsbruck, Austria, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Emily Sweeney of the United States waves after the women's sprint race at the Luge World Cup in Igls near Innsbruck, Austria, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The largest artificial intelligence data center ever built by Facebook’s parent company Meta is coming to northeast Louisiana, the company said Wednesday, bringing hopes that the $10 billion facility will transform an economically neglected corner of the state.
Republican Gov. Jeff Landry called it “game-changing” for his state's expanding tech sector, yet some environmental groups have raised concerns over the center's reliance on fossil fuels — and whether the plans for new natural gas power to support it could lead to higher energy bills in the future for Louisiana residents.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk's AI startup, xAI, is expanding its existing supercomputer project in Memphis, Tennessee, the city's chamber of commerce said Wednesday. The chamber also said that Nvidia, Dell, and Supermicro Computer will be “establishing operations in Memphis,” without offering further details.
Louisiana is among a growing number of states offering tax credits and other incentives to lure big tech firms seeking sites for energy-intensive data centers.
The U.S. Commerce Department found that there aren’t enough data centers in the U.S. to meet the rising AI-fueled demand, which is projected to grow by 9% each year through 2030, citing industry reports.
Meta anticipates its Louisiana data center will create 500 operational jobs and 5,000 temporary construction jobs, said Kevin Janda, director of data center strategy. At 4 million square feet (370,000 square meters), it will be the company's largest AI data center to date, he added.
“We want to make sure we are having a positive impact on the local level,” Janda said.
Congressional leaders and local representatives from across the political spectrum heralded the Meta facility as a boon for Richland Parish, a rural part of Louisiana with a population of 20,000 historically reliant on agriculture. About one in four residents are considered to live in poverty, according to the U.S. census data. The parish’s unemployment rate was 4.6% last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Meta plans to invest $200 million into road and water infrastructure improvements for the parish to offset its water usage. The facility is expected to be completed in 2030.
Entergy, one of the nation's largest utility providers, is fast-tracking plans to build three natural gas power plants in Louisiana capable of generating 2,262 megawatts for Meta's data center over a 15-year period — nearly one-tenth of Entergy's existing energy capacity across four states.
The Louisiana Public Service Commission is weighing Entergy's proposal as some environmental groups have opposed locking the state into more fossil fuel-based energy infrastructure. Meta said it plans to help bring 1,500 megawatts of renewable energy onto the grid in the future.
Louisiana residents may ultimately end up with rate increases to pay off the cost of operating these natural gas power plants when Meta's contract with Entergy expires, said Jessica Hendricks, state policy director for the Alliance for Affordable Energy, a Louisiana-based nonprofit advocating for energy consumers.
“There’s no reason why residential customers in Louisiana need to pay for a power plant for energy that they’re not going to use," Hendricks said. "And we want to make sure that there’s safeguards in place.”
Public service commissioner Foster Campbell, representing northeast Louisiana, said he does not believe the data center will increase rates for Louisiana residents and views it as vital for his region.
“It’s going in one of the most needed places in Louisiana and maybe one of the most needed places in the United States of America,” Foster said. “I’m for it 100%.”
Environmental groups have also warned of the pollution generated by Musk's AI data center in Memphis. The Southern Environmental Law Center, among others, says the supercomputer could strain the power grid, prompting attention from the Environmental Protection Agency. Eighteen gas turbines currently running at xAI’s south Memphis facility are significant sources of ground-level ozone, better known as smog, the group said.
Patrick Anderson, an attorney at the law center, said xAI has operated with “a stunning lack of transparency” in developing its South Memphis facility, which is located near predominantly Black neighborhoods that have long dealt with pollution and health risks from factories and other industrial sites.
“Memphians deserve to know how xAI will affect them,” he said, “and should have a seat at the table when these decisions are being made.”
Sainz reported from Memphis, Tennessee. Associated Press writer Matt O’Brien in Providence, Rhode Island, contributed to this report.
Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96
FILE - The Meta logo is seen at the Vivatech show in Paris, France, June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
