Overview
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright last week directed FERC to initiate by April 30 a rulemaking to accelerate interconnections for large electric loads, including data centers, to meet surging AI demand.
- In his letter, Wright said the plan seeks to avoid affecting state authority by confining FERC jurisdiction to interconnections made directly to transmission facilities.
- Former FERC Chair Mark Christie cautioned that the effort could represent an unprecedented expansion of federal control over state regulation.
- Sen. Kevin Cramer voiced guarded skepticism, calling for a balance that preserves state roles and a clear path to appeal FERC decisions.
- Reactions split further as Sen. Josh Hawley criticized data centers’ power use while Rep. Julie Fedorchak welcomed testing new approaches, with North Dakota’s delegation also reiterating earlier concerns about sticking residents with regional upgrade costs.