Good morning. Data centers push grid costs onto households, TVA bets billions on demand that may vanish and the U.S. builds just 435 miles of major transmission.
Top Stories
DATA CENTERS LIFTED WHOLESALE PRICES MORE THAN 10% IN HARD-HIT HUBS
Nature Energy
The most exposed hubs saw cumulative increases above 10% by 2025. Households paid a disproportionate share of regulated grid costs, with the heaviest modeled burden falling on rural and low-income customers.
TVA'S DATA-CENTER BET COULD LEAVE CUSTOMERS HOLDING THE BILL
The Tennessean
TVA plans more than $13 billion in system investment through 2029. Critics say the utility has not shown whether its large-load fees will cover long-lived costs if projected demand disappears.
DOE OPENS 3,700 HANFORD ACRES TO DATA CENTERS AND POWER PROJECTS
The Spokesman-Review
Proposals are due Jan. 29. Selected developers must secure their own interconnections and cover new generation and delivery infrastructure.
SENATE PUTS THE PERMITTING DEAL TO A TEST VOTE
RTO Insider
The four principal sponsors released revised text ahead of the Nov. 9 cloture vote.
OHIO DATA CENTERS GO 0-FOR-21 AT THE BALLOT BOX
Ohio Capital Journal
Wilmington rejected four rezonings by roughly 80%, and Upper Sandusky passed a ban with nearly 77%.
Power & Grid
U.S. BUILDS JUST 435 MILES OF HIGH-CAPACITY TRANSMISSION
RTO Insider
Grid Strategies says construction stayed anemic in 2025 even as electricity-demand growth returned.
X-ENERGY STARTS ENGINEERING ON A SECOND XE-100 PROJECT
Interesting Engineering
Fluor will engineer the Amazon-backed Cascade project near Richland, Washington. The initial plan calls for four 80-MW reactors, with licensing for as many as 12.
WISCONSIN CUTS TWO RATE CASES AND SHIELDS CUSTOMERS FROM DATA-CENTER COSTS
Wisconsin Public Radio
Regulators cut the allowed return on equity for We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service to 9.5% and barred data-center service costs from shifting to other customers.
GEORGIA POWER OPENS A 530-MW BATTERY FACILITY
CBS News Atlanta
McGrau Ford is the state's largest battery installation. Georgia Power plans 12 battery sites totaling more than 4,000 MW by 2030.
ALABAMA REGULATORS ASK THE UTILITY TO STOP BILLING CUSTOMERS FOR ADS
Inside Climate News
The commission made a voluntary request before a statutory ban takes effect in 2029. Alabama Power spent more than $6 million on general advertising in 2025.
Data Centers
FUEL-CELL FACTORY RAMPS TOWARD 500 MW FOR DATA-CENTER DEMAND
CT Mirror
FuelCell Energy is hiring about 100 workers as Torrington production rises from roughly 40 MW to 100 MW a year. A planned $200 million expansion could reach 500 MW by mid-2028.
KENTUCKY CO-OPS TELL DATA CENTERS TO PAY EVERY PROJECT COST
WDRB/WAVE
Utility leaders told lawmakers developers should cover feasibility studies, transmission work and infrastructure upgrades.
SAN ANTONIO WEIGHS A NEW WATER FEE FOR DATA CENTERS
Government Technology
The water system plans a 2027 fee for high-volume recycled-water users and is considering customer-owned backup storage.
QTS CHANGES CONSTRUCTION AFTER AN $8 BILLION CAMPUS DRAWS COMPLAINTS
The Post and Courier
The company restricted off-hours traffic, moved cutting stations indoors and changed backup alarms, lighting and screening at its York County site.
OKLAHOMA MAKES 75-MW LOADS BACK THEIR POWER REQUESTS
Oklahoma Energy Today
Regulators adopted long-term commitments and financial-security requirements for data centers, crypto mines and AI facilities. The same order grants PSO a 3.55% residential increase.
Stat of the Day
47%
Median share of regulated grid costs allocated to residential customers in the study
Modeled burden increases were 76% larger in rural communities.
Nature Energy ↗