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This executive summary by RMI describes orders issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in June 2026 directing six regional grid operators to reform their tariffs and processes for interconnecting large loads, such as data centers, to the transmission system.

This briefing analyzes the PJM Board's January 2026 decision regarding the Critical Issue Fast Path for Large Load Additions (CIFP-LLA). It outlines how states within the PJM region can implement retail-level policies—such as specialized tariffs and improved forecasting—to manage the surge in data center electricity demand without increasing costs for residential ratepayers or compromising grid reliability.

This guide explains the process that transmission providers and large load customers, such as data centers, use to connect loads exceeding 20 megawatts (MW) to the electric grid. It details the six-step interconnection process, the distinction between customer interconnection facilities and network upgrades, and the regulatory roles of FERC and state PUCs in cost allocation.

This report by RMI examines how utilities and regulators in the United States are using large load tariffs to prevent the costs of serving new, high-demand electricity users—particularly data centers—from being shifted to other ratepayers. The analysis of 65 state-level tariffs identifies five common safeguard provisions: minimum contract terms, minimum monthly billing demands, collateral requirements, exit fees, and capacity reassignment.

This policy brief by RMI argues that Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) can mitigate the grid constraints currently delaying the interconnection of data centers and other large loads in the United States. The document proposes three commercial models to accelerate VPP deployment and suggests policy reforms in interconnection, integrated planning, and customer protection to ensure the US remains competitive in the AI race.

This RMI briefing argues that aging coal-fired power plants are an unreliable and inflexible solution for meeting the rising electricity demand driven by the data center boom in the United States. The document asserts that clean, scalable resources such as battery storage and demand flexibility are better suited to the real-time operational needs of data centers and can meet over 95 percent of future demand.

RMI proposes a "Power Couples" strategy to meet the surging electricity demands of AI data centers in the United States. This approach involves pairing large electricity consumers with new-build wind, solar, and battery resources located near existing generators with approved grid interconnections, allowing for rapid deployment of clean energy without compromising grid reliability or increasing costs for other ratepayers.

A Global Energy Monitor briefing reports a surge in proposed gas-fired power plants in the United States, driven by speculation over AI energy demand. While the U.S. now has the world's second-largest pipeline of such projects, most remain in early development stages, risking billions in stranded assets if demand forecasts prove inaccurate.

This report by RMI examines the challenges of forecasting large electricity loads—such as data centers and advanced manufacturing—in the United States. It argues that traditional forecasting methods are insufficient for the rapid growth and unique operational characteristics of these loads, which can lead to risks in grid reliability and customer affordability. The document provides a framework for understanding load characteristics, outlines best practices for utilities, and offers specific regulatory actions to ensure forecasts are thorough, up-to-date, and validated.

This report examines the rising energy demands of data centers driven by the growth of generative AI and outlines the challenges and pathways for decoupling this growth from carbon emissions.

Data center power demand in the US is projected to reach 35 GW by 2030, potentially accounting for 7.5% of total electricity consumption. RMI argues that this surge presents an opportunity to set a precedent for future large-scale electrification (e.g., EVs, manufacturing) by prioritizing energy efficiency, demand flexibility, grid-enhancing technologies (GETs), and carbon-free energy procurement. The document highlights the risk of utilities defaulting to new gas generation and urges regulators to implement system-level 'zoning' for the grid and equitable cost allocation for upgrades.

This fact sheet details a green bond issued by Ficolo, a Finnish cloud delivery service provider, on October 2, 2019. The bond, totaling EUR 20 million, is dedicated to financing data centers operated solely by renewable energy and represents several firsts for the Finnish green bond market.

This fact sheet from Energy Innovation outlines how data center electricity demand can be made flexible through workload shifting, operational reductions, and the use of backup power or storage to minimize the need for new fossil fuel generation and grid infrastructure.