Good morning. The bill for America's power scramble is coming into focus, one household and one substation at a time.
Top Stories
TRUMP POLICIES COULD COST THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD $6,500
The Associated Press
An Energy Innovation model projects that federal policy changes will add $6,500 to the average household's energy costs through 2040. Five states approach $9,000, while the White House says more coal and gas will lower bills.
META CLAIMED $3.9 BILLION IN RESEARCH TAX CREDITS
The New York Times
Meta treated AI data centers as experimental pilot models for tax purposes, lifting its research credit from $700 million in 2023 to $3.9 billion last year. Its reserve for possible IRS challenges, tied mainly to research credits and transfer pricing, has grown 45% in two years to $18.74 billion.
SOLAR FOR ALL GRANTEES SEEK DAMAGES AFTER ILLEGAL CUT
Utility Dive
Grant recipients say a year of uncertainty after EPA's termination forced layoffs and stalled projects, and several are now seeking damages on top of their original awards. Two federal judges have since restored the $7 billion program.
PJM'S BACKSTOP AUCTION STALLS AFTER FERC SUSPENDS IT
Utility Dive
FERC accepted the $555-per-MW-day price cap but found the cost allocation, buyer collateral and utility-exit rules may be unjust, suspending implementation for five months. PJM said the 6.8-GW procurement will not open as scheduled and has set no new date.
OHIO SHOWS WHY PERMITTING REFORM GETS MESSY FAST
Ohio Capital Journal
Ohio Republicans want Washington to accelerate energy approvals, but a state review finds projects face overlapping rules, staffing shortages and appeals. The gap between faster permits and durable public review remains the hard part.
Power & Grid
SPANBERGER PUTS DATA-CENTER COSTS AT THE CENTER OF VIRGINIA PLAN
Virginia Mercury
Virginia's new energy plan says data-center-driven demand could double in 15 years and calls for large loads to help fund the infrastructure they require. It keeps the state's 2050 net-zero target under a clean-first, least-cost framework.
GOOGLE PAYS FOR HEAT PUMPS TO CLEAR ROOM ON THE GRID
Forbes
Google is funding a California virtual power plant built from about 21,000 home batteries, smart thermostats and heat pumps. The devices are expected to provide 11 MW through 2027 as PG&E tests whether flexible demand can defer grid upgrades.
ENERGY VAULT BUYS A 2.3-GW BATTERY PIPELINE
Utility Dive
The acquisition includes 350 MW that could begin operating in early 2028 and comes with up to $40 million in credit. Energy Vault is also assessing Trump's restrictions on foreign-made bulk-power components project by project.
NATIONAL GRID DOUBLES THE WIRE ON A 21.7-MILE NEW YORK LINE
WGRZ
National Grid is spending $150 million to replace a decades-old line between Niagara and Genesee counties with wire twice the size to meet rising demand. Crews installed more than a mile in two weeks, and the work is due to finish in spring 2028.
AMAZON'S 20-YEAR DEAL BACKS A $3 BILLION CALVERT CLIFFS UPGRADE
Bloomberg
Amazon will buy 690 MW from Maryland's only nuclear plant, including a 190-MW uprate due between 2030 and 2032, and the revenue supports Constellation's bid for another 20-year license. The deal comes weeks after Amazon dropped plans for a data center beside the plant amid local opposition.
Data Centers
ILLINOIS DATA CENTERS PROMISE 121,000 JOBS, FEW LAST
The Associated Press
A study projects $57 billion in development through 2035 but only 2,800 to 3,000 direct permanent jobs. The same buildout could add $12 a month to household power bills and generate nearly $300 million a year in property taxes without abatements.
INSIDE THE TRILLIONS BEHIND THE AI BUILDOUT
Forbes
Estimates put the U.S. buildout between $2.8 trillion by 2030 and $10.3 trillion by 2032, while Microsoft, Amazon, Meta and Google could spend at least $670 billion this year. The gap shows how uncertain the AI infrastructure race remains.
CYRUSONE OPENS ITS DOORS AS PUBLIC DISTRUST GROWS
San Antonio Report
The company is giving controlled tours to reporters and officials as operators confront backlash over secrecy, water and power. Its San Antonio campus has two facilities operating, two under construction and three more planned nearby.
THE 50-STATE MAP OF GOVERNORS AND THE AI BOOM
Business Insider
A national guide tracks which governors are courting data-center investment and which are backing cost protections, local control or tighter AI rules. The split is sharpening with 39 gubernatorial races, across 36 states and three territories, on the November ballot.
BROOKFIELD TARGETS AI LOAD WITH STORAGE AND NUCLEAR
Brookfield Renewable Investor Day
Brookfield Renewable says it operates more than 5 GW of storage and has an advanced pipeline above 30 GW. It raised its five-year capital deployment target past $11 billion as data centers intensify demand for firm power and grid flexibility.
Stat of the Day
73%+
Year-over-year jump in U.S. data-center construction spending in August
Spending rose 7.5% in the month alone, while total U.S. construction spending was 1.7% below a year earlier, according to Census data.
Associated Builders and Contractors via ENR ↗