Bessemer Venture Partners' data center stack analysis explicitly identifies grid connection timeline (5-7 years) as the binding constraint on data center development -- more limiting than compute availability, capital, or permitting in most markets. DOE federal land sites (16 identified, solicitations forthcoming), DAF Alaska (4,700 acres, proposals due May 29), and military base co-location programs are unique precisely because they offer pre-positioned power capacity that bypasses the 5-7 year grid interconnection queue. (more)

The Trump DPA Grid Infrastructure Determination explicitly lists large power transformers, conductors, substations, and high-voltage circuit breakers as essential national defense materials. DOE can now finance domestic production through loans, guarantees, and purchase commitments. However, the DPA authority addresses the supply investment problem, not the lead time physics problem. (more)

June 2026 contains two grid policy events with direct federal data center impact. First: FERC issues its large-load interconnection ruling (committed by Chair Swett in April). This determines the regulatory framework for all new grid connections -- federal preemption vs. state authority, participant-funding models, queue priority. Second: PJM's Base Residual Auction sets capacity prices for 2029/2030 under conditions the market monitor describes as inadequate supply.  (more)

Unions are increasingly supporting data center development because of the scale of construction work involved. In some regions, data centers now represent a large share of union labor hours. (more)

Oracle’s New Mexico pivot and the Utah backlash show that dedicated generation does not eliminate project risk. Local governments and communities are increasingly scrutinizing natural gas, water, emissions, and land use. (more)

PJM’s proposed market overhaul reflects a structural mismatch between AI/data center demand and available power resources. For public-sector infrastructure, this raises near-term questions about reliability, power cost, and whether government workloads should remain concentrated in PJM-dependent regions. (more)

Northern Virginia grid operators have issued formal capacity warnings through 2028. Virginia data centers already consume 25%+ of state electricity. EPRI's high-growth scenario has Virginia reaching 39-57% data center electricity share by 2030.

AEP Ohio has formally paused all new data center interconnections due to insufficient power infrastructure -- any federal facility in AEP Ohio's service territory cannot get new grid connections

The IEA's 'Key Questions on Energy and AI' update confirms two structural shifts in data center power procurement: (1) hyperscalers and large data center operators are now the dominant buyers in the corporate renewable energy market, accounting for 40% of all PPAs signed in 2025;

Deep Atomic submitted a proposal to DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy for an integrated energy and data center campus at INL. The MK60 SMR generates 60 MWe, 60 MW of integrated cooling, and 200 MW thermal output. Data center operations begin within 24-36 months using grid, geothermal, and solar while the SMR completes design certification and commissioning. INL now has multiple competing nuclear-data center proposals in active review. (more)

NVIDIA's Sean James (distinguished engineer for energy systems) told DCW attendees that training clusters introduce 'sharp, dynamic load patterns that ripple all the way back to the power plant' — and that energy storage is becoming essential to smooth fluctuations, maintain power quality, and meet emerging grid requirements such as ride-through during voltage events. For government data center operators: backup generation alone is not an AI-era power strategy. Storage procurement should be integrated into all new AI data center facility designs. (more)

EPRI's February 2026 analysis — now widely cited post-DCW — is the benchmark state-level energy projection. Virginia's data center electricity share (already 25%+) could reach 39-57% by 2030 under EPRI's scenarios. Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, and Wyoming will all cross the 20% threshold. Federal data centers in the Northern Virginia corridor should have contingency power strategies for the 2026-2032 window. (more)

30+ states pursuing large-load tariffs. (more)

DOE vs. FERC vs. states on large-load rules. (more)

Transformer and switchgear shortages are delaying builds nationwide. (more)

Demand doubling, long interconnection timelines, and transmission upgrades lagging.

Data centers drove nearly all recent load growth, pushing prices to cap levels.

New large-scale storage projects coming online in Virginia and PJM.