Overview
- Forecasters and grid authorities warn of potential capacity shortfalls by 2030 as data centers jump from roughly 4% of U.S. electricity use in 2024 toward a projected 9%–12%.
- Tech firms are lining up firm power, including Microsoft’s 20‑year deal tied to restarting Three Mile Island by 2028 and projects pairing gas plants with carbon capture, alongside renewables, batteries and efficiency upgrades.
- The buildout is spreading beyond Northern Virginia to new regions, with large commitments in Ohio and Arkansas and a massive Arizona campus, even as Loudoun County’s 4.9‑gigawatt load offers a cautionary example.
- Organized opposition is reshaping local politics, with community groups in places like Virginia and Indiana challenging subsidies, noise and rate impacts and citing rising household bills and cost sharing concerns.
- Federal policymakers have moved to speed approvals, with a presidential order accelerating permitting for data‑center infrastructure as agencies and companies weigh reliability, affordability and climate goals.