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The top US energy regulator ordered the country's electric grid operators to consider new ‌protocols to quickly connect very large energy users, such as data centers, without driving up costs and the risk of blackouts reut.rs/4fUpZqq

🧠 Federal regulators are directing grid operators to prioritize power delivery to energy-intensive AI datacenters. The order aims to address infrastructure demands a… 💬 Hacker News 🔗 https://apnews.com/article/power-electricity-ai-plants-data-centers-grid-506e3d206871111f15c3c62fc5368be5 #AI #tech

Trump and governors target AI power shortages and price spikes | AP News Meta’s Stanton Springs Data Center is seen Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Newton County, East of Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration and a bipartisan group of governors on Friday tried to step up pressure on the operator of the nation’s largest electric grid to take urgent steps to boost power supplies and keep electricity bills from rising even higher. Administration officials said doing so is essential to win the artificial intelligence race against China, even asvoters raise concernsabout theenormous amount of power data centers useand analysts warn of the growing possibility of blackouts in the mid-Atlantic grid in the coming years. “We know that with the demands of AI and the power and the productivity that comes with that, it’s going to transform every job and every company and every industry,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told reporters at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House. “But we need to be able to power that in the race that we are in against China.” The White House and 13 governors want the mid-Atlantic grid operator to hold …

Top US Energy Regulator Pushes Grids to Overhaul Data Center ... The top U.S. energy regulator ordered the country’s electric grid operators on Thursday to reconsider rules for connecting very large energy users such as data centers, as demand from server warehouses strains power grids. Data centers are pushing U.S. electricity use to record highs and requiring more electricity in large swaths of the country than grids can supply, sending regulators scrambling to manage the demand. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission draft “show cause” orders direct the six regional grids under its jurisdiction, which excludes Texas, to justify or overhaul their process for powering very large energy users. FERC’s order follows a directive by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright last year to help expedite the connection of data centers as part of the country’s objective of winning a global race to develop and roll out new AI technologies. “This is a race against time, and we are going to win,” FERC Chairman Laura Swett said. “This is the biggest priority our country is facing at the moment.” Grid operators and transmission owners have 60 days to respond to FERC and explain why their curren…

Regulators back Trump plan to speed power to energy-hungry AI data ... Fans, part of a cooling system, are visible on the roof of a data center April 27, 2026, in Hillsboro, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File) Meta’s Stanton Springs Data Center is visible Jan. 13, 2026, in Newton County, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File) Amazon Web Services data center is visible at night Aug. 22, 2024, in Boardman, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File) The xAI data center is seen, May 7, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File) WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal regulators on Thursday ordered regional grid operators to help large energy users connect more quickly to the nation’s inefficient and aging electric transmission system, a step they said is needed to accommodate surging demand from power-hungry artificial intelligencedata centers. Energy Secretary Chris Wright had urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to act in an effort to help the United States better compete with China for superiority in the fast-growingAIsector. Tech companies and data center developers welcomed the chance to connect faster to the country’s power supply. Utilities, states and regional grid operators ha…

FERC gives grid operators 60 days to respond on data center power rules America's top energy regulator, FERC, has ordered regional grid operators to revise rules for connecting large energy users like data centers. This action aims to manage surging electricity demand straining power grids and to expedite the integration of these loads, supporting the nation's AI and manufacturing goals.

Federal regulators back Trump's plan to speed power to energy-hungry AI ... Audio By Carbonatix WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal regulators on Thursday ordered regional grid operators to help large energy users connect more quickly to the nation’s inefficient and aging electric transmission system, a step they said is needed to accommodate surging demand from power-hungry artificial intelligence data centers. Energy Secretary Chris Wright had urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to act in an effort to help the United States better compete with China for superiority in the fast-growing AI sector. Tech companies and data center developers welcomed the chance to connect faster to the country’s power supply. Utilities, states and regional grid operators had worried that the Republican administration’s plan would remove their authority to manage the process, but FERC said the order leaves states in control of retail electric rates, terms and conditions. Clean energy advocates have urged regulators to advance, rather than undermine, state-level efforts to require the use of renewable energies. The commission’s actions come as a backlash grows against data centers over concerns ab…

Federal Regulators Tell Electric Grid Operators to Fix Their Rules on ... The nation’s electric grid is stressed out. Unprecedented energy demands for large customers, such as data centers and cryptomines, are straining power supplies, raising electric rates in some regions, and stoking consumer advocates’ concerns that residential ratepayers could get stuck with the bill. Today federal energy regulators issued sweeping orders that require the nation’s six major grid operators within 60 days to propose reforms or justify their rules that govern how data centers and other large customers connect to the electric grid. Additionally, within 30 days, each grid operator and its transmission owners must submit a detailed report describing how the grid operator will ensure there is adequate generation to serve existing and new large loads. The purpose of the order is to expedite connections between large customers and utilities, but with some proposed protections for residential and small commercial customers. The wholesale energy market for two-thirds of the United States, roughly 200 million customers, is managed and monitored by regional grid operators, such as PJM Interconnection, Mid…

Federal regulators back Trump's plan to speed power to energy-hungry AI ... Federal regulators on Thursday agreed to let large energy users connect more quickly to the nation's inefficient and electric transmission system to accommodate surging demand from power-hungry artificial intelligence data centers. Energy Secretary Chris Wright had urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to act in an effort to help the United States better compete with China for superiority in the fast-growing AI sector. Tech companies and data center developers have welcomed the chances for faster connections to the country's power supply. But utilities, states and regional grid operators worried that the Republican administration's plan would remove their authority to manage the process. Clean energy advocates want the agency to advance, rather than undermine, state-level efforts to require the use of renewable energies. The commission's actions come as a backlash grows against data centers over fears about rising electricity prices and concerns about the massive amounts of energy and water they use, polluting communities across the country andstraining water resources and the electric grid. F…

Federal regulators back plan to speed power to energy-hungry AI data centers <p>Federal regulators on Thursday agreed to let large energy users connect more quickly to the nation’s power grid to account for the surging demand from data centers.</p>

Federal regulators order grid operators to speed power to energy ... By MATTHEW DALY and MARC LEVY The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal regulators on Thursday ordered regional grid operators to help large energy users connect more quickly to the nation’s inefficient and aging electric transmission system, a step they said is needed to accommodate surging demand from power-hungry artificial intelligence data centers. Energy Secretary Chris Wright had urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to act in an effort to help the United States better compete with China for superiority in the fast-growing AI sector. Tech companies and data center developers welcomed the chance to connect faster to the country’s power supply for the biggest energy users ever built in the United States, including some that consume more electricity than a small city. Utilities, states and regional grid operators had worried that the Republican administration’s plan would remove their authority to manage the process, but FERC said the order leaves states in control of retail electric rates, terms and conditions. Clean energy advocates have urged regulators not to undermine state-level efforts to…

Federal regulators back Trump’s plan to speed power to energy-hungry AI data centers <p>WASHINGTON &#8212; Federal regulators on Thursday agreed to let large energy users connect more quickly to the nation&#8217;s inefficient and electric transmission system to accommodate surging demand from power-hungry artificial intelligence data centers.</p>