Overview
- Governors have stepped in to slow approvals, with New York imposing a one‑year moratorium in July and Texas ordering audits and a pause on new grid hookups on August 3.
- Grid operators are reporting unprecedented demand: ERCOT is tracking roughly 474 gigawatts of large‑load requests with about 90% tied to data centers, a volume that can rival regional peak demand.
- Research by Cleanview shows roughly 60 planned projects would add about 97 gigawatts of 'behind‑the‑meter' gas generation, a buildout analysts say could drive hundreds of millions of tons of CO2 and worsen local air pollution.
- Local resistance has spread across the political spectrum, with more than 500 jurisdictions enacting bans or moratoria and organized opposition now threatening an estimated $130 billion in projects.
- Policy responses include the White House’s voluntary ratepayer pledge for hyperscalers, proposed legislation to make large users fund grid upgrades, increased investor caution, and growing interest in decentralized or lower‑power AI alternatives.