Good morning. DOE pulled three transmission corridors, PJM put unsupported data centers first in line for curtailment, and industry messaging is colliding with a public that wants names, numbers and some actual leverage.
Top Stories
DOE SCRAPS THREE NATIONAL TRANSMISSION CORRIDORS
U.S. Department of Energy
Chris Wright cancelled the Lake Erie-Canada, Southwestern Grid Connector and Tribal Energy Access corridors, the last three of ten candidates covering more than 3,500 miles, leaving no designated corridor anywhere a month after DOE's own study warned of widening transmission gaps.
DATA-CENTER PR BLITZ HIDES WHO IS PAYING
Inside Climate News
A group promoting data-center benefits does not disclose its financial backer, turning an industry persuasion campaign into another argument over transparency and public trust.
ABBOTT'S DATA-CENTER AUDIT COMES WITHOUT THE DETAILS
The Texas Tribune
Texas leaders and industry groups are touting voluntary power and water reviews, but the plan leaves basic questions unanswered about scope, standards and enforcement.
PJM PUTS UNSUPPORTED DATA CENTERS FIRST IN LINE FOR CURTAILMENT
PJM Interconnection
The grid operator asked FERC to require utilities to back new large loads with new capacity or reduce them during emergencies before traditional customers.
WEST VIRGINIA OFFERS DATA-CENTER TAXES AS THE PAYOFF
E&E News
Gov. Patrick Morrisey wants sector revenue to fund local infrastructure and steer half the state's data-center tax proceeds toward cutting, and potentially eliminating, the income tax.
Power & Grid
AWS WALKS AWAY FROM CALVERT CLIFFS CAMPUS
Data Center Knowledge
Amazon withdrew its proposed 2.5-million-square-foot, 500-MW campus beside Maryland's Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant as county officials prepared to consider a six-month data-center moratorium.
NORTHWEST NEEDS 11 GW OF POWER AND 5 GW OF BATTERIES
Oregon Public Broadcasting
The region's draft plan calls for 9 GW of renewables, 2 GW of gas and 5 GW of storage by 2032 as data centers alone add roughly 4 GW of demand by 2030.
U.S. BATTERY FLEET REACHES NEARLY 52 GW
pv magazine / EIA
Utility-scale storage has grown about 70% annually for three years, and operators report another 54 GW planned through 2028.
NEW YORK UTILITIES WANT TO OWN POWER PLANTS AGAIN
New York Public News Network
Utilities forced out of generation in the 1990s want regulators to let them build wind and solar, reopening the question of whether captive customers should carry project risk.
U.S. POWER DEMAND SET FOR BACK-TO-BACK RECORDS
Semafor / EIA
Federal forecasters expect consumption to rise from 4,195 billion kWh in 2025 to 4,268 billion this year and 4,391 billion in 2027, with data centers driving much of the increase.
Data Centers
SAN JOSE DATA CENTERS STOP AT 99 MW
KQED
Several projects sit just below California's 100-MW oversight threshold as the city considers requiring investments in housing, parks, job training and clean energy.
DOVER MOVES TOWARD AN 18-MONTH DATA-CENTER FREEZE
Spotlight Delaware
A council committee unanimously advanced the pause while Delaware's new law requires data centers to supply all their own power for their first 10 years.
TEXAS CAMPUS PLANS 1 GW OF GAS, THEN 1.5 GW OF NUCLEAR
GE Vernova Hitachi / Blue Energy
The companies say the Victoria project would start with gas turbines in 2030 and add up to five BWRX-300 reactors beginning in 2032, but engineering and licensing are still underway and no investment decision is due before 2027.
FLORIDA SIERRA CLUB BUILDS A PLAYBOOK FOR FIGHTING DATA CENTERS
Treasure Coast Newspapers
The new online toolkit gives residents and community groups organizing resources, turning scattered project fights into a repeatable statewide opposition strategy.
TRUMP DISCLOSURE SHOWS UP TO $19.45 MILLION TIED TO NUCLEAR
NOTUS
The president's disclosure lists $6.4 million to $19.45 million in nuclear companies and reactor-owning utilities while his administration expands federal support for the sector.
Stat of the Day
30 of 32 GW
PJM demand growth through 2030 attributed to data centers
Almost none of the region's expected growth comes from homes or existing businesses, which is why one customer class is now setting the terms of the entire capacity fight.
PJM Interconnection ↗