Federal regulators back Trump's plan to speed power to energy-hungry AI data centers

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Independent

Thursday 18 June 2026 11:27 EDT


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 and straining water resources and the electric grid. FERC members voted unanimously to direct that AI data centers and other large power users are “able to connect to the transmission system in a timely and orderly manner.”

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/donald-trump-washington-united-states-china-data-b2998535.html

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Am guessing that folks are going to have to plan for more brownouts and rolling blackouts.

[eppur_se_muova]

1. Sure, let's dump everything we've got into a bottomless pit. I mean, what are the chances that they'll want more ?

Seems like a safe bet they'll be pretty satisfied after that.

[Karasu]

2. Fuck the "AI race." This shit is madness. All it does is destroy the environment, jack up prices, AND endanger

people's health on top of it all...for the sake of an unregulated technology being forced on the population.

There is no positive benefit here to anyone but tech bros and billionaires.

[highplainsdem]

3. More brownouts and rolling blackouts so we can have more AI slop, misinformation and surveillance.

[progree]

4. Not to mention greenhouse gas emissions - most AI being powered by natural gas

More natural gas-fired generation are currently in development to power US data centers than California's entire generating capacity from all sources combined. (this is something I posted back in April). California's economy is the 4th largest in the world.

As data center developers face lengthy wait times to connect to electricity grids and rising concerns over consumer electric bills, they’re increasingly turning to building their own energy, or what’s known as behind-the-meter power. For these projects, gas is king; data centers are now driving a US boom in natural gas. Nearly 100 gigawatts ((100,000 MW -progree)) of natural-gas fired power are currently in development throughout the US solely to power data centers, according to research ( https://www.wired.com/story/data-centers-are-driving-a-us-gas-boom/ ) published by the nonprofit Global Energy Monitor in January.

More: https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=edit&forum=1069&thread=14093&pid=14093

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Another equivalence that might be more relatable --

The amount of natural-gas-fired generation in development just to power near-future U.S. data centers is equivalent, in greenhouse gas emissions, to adding 100 MILLION ADDITIONAL gasoline-fueled cars to the roads. All that mostly just for AI and cryptocurrency mining.