The U.S. electric grid faces a critical bottleneck: explosive growth in electricity demand from AI data centers, manufacturing resurgence, and electrification is outpacing the physical expansion of the high-voltage transmission network that moves power across regions. According to energy economists Leonard Hyman and William Tilles in a new OilPrice.com analysis, the country needs roughly 5,000 […]
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Exelon Corporation, America’s largest electric utility by customer count, is sounding the alarm. Its CEO, Calvin Butler, has warned that the United States could face blackouts as early as 2027. This comes amid surging electricity demand — driven heavily by AI data centers — and chronic underinvestment in new power generation and grid infrastructure. At […]
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The largest U.S. regional transmission organization, PJM Interconnection, escalated emergency measures on July 3, 2026, issuing a federal alert to cut electricity consumption across its vast territory amid generator outages, overloaded high-voltage transmission lines, and surging air-conditioning demand from a prolonged heatwave. PJM, which manages the electric grid for approximately 67 million people, activated demand-response […]
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On June 22, 2026, Virginia’s General Assembly approved its two-year biennial budget (HB 30), which includes a first-of-its-kind electricity consumption tax on qualifying data centers. The tax took effect July 1, 2026, and runs through June 30, 2028. The measure levies $0.011 per kWh (1.1 cents) on all electricity consumed at covered data centers each […]
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The U.S. trade deficit narrowed in April 2026, with exports hitting a record high as surging crude oil and petroleum product shipments more than offset a sharp rise in imports of computers, semiconductors, and telecommunications equipment tied to the AI data center boom. According to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the trade […]
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Electricity bills are rising across much of the United States, sparking heated debate. With AI fueling explosive data center growth, many point to hyperscale facilities as the culprit behind higher rates. But a new independent analysis from Energy + Environmental Economics (E3), released May 18, 2026, alongside corroborating work from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), […]
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Power prices on the largest electric grid in the United States — PJM Interconnection, which serves 13 states and the District of Columbia — jumped a staggering 76% in the first quarter of 2026. Wholesale power averaged $136.53 per megawatt-hour (MWh), up from $77.78/MWh in the same period of 2025, according to the grid’s independent […]
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PJM Interconnection, the nation’s largest regional transmission organization, is confronting a historic shift from electricity surplus to structural scarcity. A new special report released by PJM on May 6, 2026, titled Powering Reliability Through Market Design, details how unprecedented demand growth—fueled largely by hyperscale data centers and AI infrastructure—combined with accelerated retirements of dispatchable generation […]
Continue ReadingWeekly Daily Standup Top Stories U.S. Largest Grid Operator is warning of Summer Power Shortages May 11, 2025 Clark Savage Key Points Research suggests potential summer power shortages in the U.S. grid, especially in PJM’s region, due to high demand and retiring plants. It seems likely that extreme heat could strain the grid, potentially causing […] Newsom […]
Continue ReadingDaily Standup Top Stories U.S. Largest Grid Operator is warning of Summer Power Shortages May 11, 2025 Clark Savage Key Points Research suggests potential summer power shortages in the U.S. grid, especially in PJM’s region, due to high demand and retiring plants. It seems likely that extreme heat could strain the grid, potentially causing […] Newsom asks […]
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