FERC officially opened a “fast lane” for data centers to plug directly into power plants. (APNews)
In a unanimous decision, FERC ordered PJM to formalize rules for co-location, effectively allowing tech giants to bypass the clogged transmission grid and hook their server farms straight into nuclear or gas plants.
To prevent these deals from draining the public grid, regulators signaled that if a data center diverts power from an existing plant, it may be forced to pay the cost of replacing that lost energy (which could mean a big fee).
The move is a major win for power plant owners (whose stocks surged on the news) and establishes a blueprint for the Trump administration’s goal of prioritizing AI infrastructure speed over traditional utility red tape.