The number of applications for electricity in US data centers has skyrocketed, and power utility companies have raised the approval threshold. The agency predicts that in the end, two-thirds of electricity applications will not be implemented. According to the latest August estimates from energy research institute Wood Mackenzie, US power grid operators and utility companies will only implement about 28% of the electricity applications for the 1,066 gigawatt data center project. 1,066 gigawatts is the total declared power of data centers across the US according to Wood Mackenzie. According to data from the US Energy Information Administration, 1,066 gigawatts are equivalent to 83% of the total installed capacity of utilities in the US at the end of last year. Glenn Schwartz, head of energy policy at the energy consulting agency Rapidan, stated: “Grid operators cannot tell which declarations are actually workable and which are just paper solutions.” He estimated that due to the “shadow declaration”, only 20%-30% of the electricity quota applied for by the developer can actually be implemented.

The number of applications for electricity in US data centers has skyrocketed, and power utility companies have raised the approval threshold. The agency predicts that in the end, two-thirds of electricity applications will not be implemented. According to the latest August estimates from energy research institute Wood Mackenzie, US power grid operators and utility companies will only implement about 28% of the electricity applications for the 1,066 gigawatt data center project. 1,066 gigawatts is the total declared power of data centers across the US according to Wood Mackenzie. According to data from the US Energy Information Administration, 1,066 gigawatts are equivalent to 83% of the total installed capacity of utilities in the US at the end of last year. Glenn Schwartz, head of energy policy at energy consulting agency Rapidan, said, “Grid operators cannot tell which declarations are actually viable and which are just paper solutions.” He estimated that due to the “shadow declaration”, only 20%-30% of the electricity quota applied for by the developer can actually be implemented.