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Ohio is experiencing an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme precipitation, flooding, heat, and drought, with natural disaster costs reaching $2 to $5 billion in the first half of 2026. These hazards are compounded by aging infrastructure, including high-hazard dams and levees, and a legacy of industrial pollution from Superfund sites. The state's energy grid is under strain from extreme heat and surging demand from over 200 data centers, while state policy continues to favor fossil fuels and obstruct renewable energy development. Key military assets, such as Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, face significant flood and wildfire risks. While Ohio lacks a comprehensive statewide climate governance framework, some progress has been made through municipal adaptation plans and significant support from federal agencies like NOAA, FEMA, and the EPA.

A Spring 2026 survey of 1,060 U.S. adults reveals that a majority of Americans (56%) oppose building data centers in their local areas and 59% believe such developments would increase their electricity bills. There is broad support (73%) for requiring data center developers to offset electricity use by installing rooftop solar or providing weatherization and insulation for local homes. While views vary across the 'Six Americas' segments, opposition to local data centers and support for electricity offsets are common across most groups, including those typically dismissive of global warming.

A Spring 2026 survey of 1,060 U.S. adults reveals that a majority of Americans (56%) oppose building data centers in their local areas and 59% expect such developments to increase their electricity bills. There is strong broad support (73%) for requiring data center developers to offset electricity use by installing rooftop solar or weatherizing local homes. While views on global warming vary across the 'Six Americas' segments, opposition to local data centers and support for energy efficiency offsets are relatively consistent across most groups, with the 'Alarmed' showing the highest opposition and the 'Dismissive' the lowest support for offsets.

In Q2 2026, private equity firms acquired over 70 US companies with at least 500 employees, primarily in the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services and Manufacturing sectors. The report details specific instances of plant closures, layoffs, and labor disputes following these acquisitions, such as the closure of an MW Components plant in Houston one week after its purchase by Rosebank Industries. It also highlights systemic issues including OSHA violations at SunOpta and child labor scandals at Charlesbank Capital Partners' portfolio company, Hearthside Food Solutions. Additionally, the report notes environmental and regulatory concerns, including wastewater pollutant violations by Inframark in Texas and community resistance to GI Partners' data center projects in California due to power and emission concerns.

The Union of Concerned Scientists claims that We Energies and independent power producers in Wisconsin are separating the construction and power acquisition review processes to avoid considering community needs when approving new gas plants. The author asserts that this 'ruse' prevents public debate on power sources and calls for legislators to implement long-term energy planning requirements to prevent regulators from reviewing interrelated cases in silos.

FERC has ordered six regional grid operators (PJM, MISO, SPP, CAISO, ISO-NE, and NYISO) to update their tariffs to address challenges posed by rising load growth from large energy users, such as data centers. The orders focus on five reform categories: standardizing interconnection applications and study processes, preventing cost shifting through increased transparency and cost recovery agreements, establishing rules for co-location and behind-the-meter generation, creating new transmission service types for flexible loads, and developing study processes for electrically proximate generation. The document outlines a strict timeline for RTO/ISO responses and filings, starting in July 2026.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) guide outlines four policy priorities for the August 2026 congressional recess: supporting the Scientific Integrity Act, funding climate-disaster agencies (NOAA and FEMA), opposing legal immunity for fossil fuel companies via the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act of 2026, and addressing the energy affordability crisis. It provides tactical instructions for delivering petitions, using social media, and questioning representatives at town halls to counter perceived attacks on science by the Trump administration.

A national analysis comparing two futures for U.S. electricity demand growth through 2030 finds that a clean energy approach is significantly cheaper than a fossil fuel-heavy one. Relying on fossil fuels would add $29.7 billion annually to customer bills by 2030, whereas a clean energy scenario would reduce overall costs by $5.1 billion annually compared to the high fossil scenario. Furthermore, clean energy provides a hedge against price shocks; in a scenario similar to the 2022 price spike, clean energy would yield total savings of $13.5 billion per year compared to fossil fuel reliance.

The briefing advocates for a "soft energy path" based on efficiency and design rather than increasing energy supply. It argues that current anxieties over AI electricity demand and critical mineral shortages can be addressed through demand flexibility, efficiency, and system optimization rather than building more power plants and mines.

A survey of 930 registered U.S. voters shows broad support for climate action, with 58% preferring candidates who support global warming action and 68% favoring increased renewable energy use. While 67% believe global warming affects the U.S. cost of living—particularly utility bills (66%) and groceries (61%)—there is significant political divergence on the responsibility for gas prices and the priority of clean energy. Trust in information remains highest for climate scientists (71%) and family and friends (69%), while 58% of voters oppose the construction of local data centers due to concerns over electricity costs.

The report argues that meeting U.S. electricity demand growth through 2030 with a clean energy portfolio is more affordable and reliable than a fossil-fuel-heavy approach. Modeling shows that a clean energy scenario could save consumers $5.1 billion annually by 2030 and significantly reduce risks associated with volatile fuel prices and extreme weather. The analysis emphasizes the role of solar, wind, battery storage, and demand-side flexibility in reducing system costs and carbon emissions while maintaining grid resilience.

The document examines the intersection of AI data centre growth and Canada's electricity grid, highlighting risks such as increased emissions from gas-powered generation and the potential for data centres to crowd out other electrification efforts. Conversely, it suggests that data centres can act as 'anchor tenants' for cleaner grids by spurring private investment in infrastructure and providing grid flexibility. Because electricity regulation is primarily provincial, the author proposes a federal framework of 'conditional carrots' (funding tied to clean energy), 'binding sticks' (Clean Electricity Regulations and carbon pricing), and 'transparency infrastructure' (national reporting standards) to align provincial actions with national climate objectives.

The PJM region expects approximately 30 GW of new electricity demand by 2030, primarily from data centers, amid rising capacity market prices and slow interconnection timelines. In response, the PJM Board's January 2026 CIFP-LLA decision establishes a regional framework for load forecasting, 'bring-your-own resource' options, a 'connect and manage' curtailment approach, and a 'reliability backstop' capacity auction. RMI argues that states must operationalize this framework through specific retail-level actions: establishing large load tariffs (LLTs) to prevent cost-shifting, improving load forecast validation to reduce speculative requests, and implementing non-firm service tariffs to prioritize the curtailment of large loads over residential customers. Additionally, the briefing recommends that states pursue permitting reforms to accelerate new generation, deploy virtual power plants (VPPs) and advanced transmission technologies (ATTs) to expand grid capacity, and coordinate regionally to advocate for deeper PJM generator interconnection reforms.

The document examines the surge in data center demand in California, driven by generative AI, and warns that without new statewide policies, this growth could increase electricity costs for ratepayers, delay the clean energy transition, and threaten grid reliability. It highlights the risks of fossil-fueled backup generators on local air quality and recommends that data centers pay for their own clean energy generation and grid connection costs.

The document outlines the six-step interconnection process for large loads (over 20 MW), detailing the progression from preliminary inquiry to the execution of an interconnection agreement. It distinguishes between customer interconnection facilities, which are typically paid for by the customer, and network upgrades, which ensure broader grid reliability and are often allocated across a service territory. The guide also describes the roles of FERC and state PUCs in cost recovery and allocation.

The briefing proposes a 'regional-first planning' approach to integrate large load interconnection requests, such as those from data centers, into a single region-wide planning model. This method aims to replace project-by-project analysis with coordinated system-level solutions, thereby reducing total transmission costs and closing regulatory gaps regarding the oversight of network upgrades.

The policy brief advocates for system-wide transmission planning over the customer-by-customer load interconnection process to manage rapid electric load growth. It highlights that system-wide planning, which evaluates needs over 5 to 20 years, leads to more efficient grid design and higher benefit-to-cost ratios. To manage the risk of anticipated load not materializing, the document recommends scenario planning to identify "least-regrets" projects and phased, modular investment strategies with built-in triggers, illustrated through case studies from the Southwest Power Pool, ERCOT in Texas, and NV Energy in Nevada.

The document outlines technical adjustments made to the ReEDS database for a study on data center threats in Louisiana. Key modifications include restricting wind power deployment in Louisiana until 2029 due to slow growth and interconnection delays, and updating retirement dates for several coal and gas plants in Louisiana and Arkansas to reflect current utility filings and legal settlements.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) warns that Louisiana's current regulatory trajectory could lead to up to $26 billion in electricity system costs and $3 billion in public health damages between 2026 and 2041 due to data center growth. The report highlights a systemic overreliance on fossil gas, which is projected to peak in 2038, and criticizes the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) for a lack of transparency and inadequate ratepayer protections, specifically citing the 'Lightning Amendment' and the Entergy/Meta project as examples of risky policy. UCS recommends reforming the Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) process, implementing standardized tariffs for data centers, and expanding wind, solar, and grid connectivity to reduce costs and emissions.

In 2025, the U.S. generated a record 853,210 GWh from solar and wind, accounting for 19% of total electricity generation. This represents a more than threefold increase since 2016, with solar generation growing more than seven-fold and wind doubling. Despite this growth, the document notes that the U.S. faces new challenges, including the repeal of clean energy tax credits via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 and the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement in 2026. These policy shifts, combined with rising electricity demand from data centers, are projected to increase heat-trapping pollution and raise average annual household energy costs by over $280 by 2035.