States Make Data Centers Pay as AI Capacity Keeps Scaling — June 11, 2026

Large-load queues meet FERC’s jurisdiction fight — June 17, 2026

PJM interconnection data shows 877 active load, generation and transmission requests totaling 102.79 GW, while a DOE-prompted FERC large-load proceeding raises the core question for data centers: who controls and pays for grid entry at hyperscale? IN THIS EPISODE 1. Latest Active PJM Interconnection Queue Requests with daily data updates — Interconnection.fyi [https://www.interconnection.fyi?market=PJM&status=Active] — Interconnection.fyi [Interconnection.fyi Tracking U.S. ISO & utility interconnection queues](/) [Email Alerts](https://interconnectionfyi.substack.com?ref=interconnection.fyi&utm_source=interconnection.fyi&utm_medium=referral) [Data Centers](/data-center) [GridTracker](/about-gridtracker)[Data center projects](/data-center)[Distribution grid (DG)… 2. DOE Directs FERC to Take Action on Large Load Interconnection | HUB | K&L Gates [https://www.klgates.com/DOE-Directs-FERC-to-Take-Action-on-Large-Load-Interconnection-10-30-2025] — K&L Gates   # DOE Directs FERC to Take Action on Large Load Interconnection      On 23 October 2025, Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris… Daily TopFive for The Data Center Daily. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate The Data Center Daily on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-data-center-daily/id1896355970] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2miCD1T5sntF7t77eRk8xv]. Feedback? Email data-center-daily@lanternpodcasts.com [data-center-daily@lanternpodcasts.com].

FERC’s Load Fight Meets a Nordic Data Center Auction — June 16, 2026

FERC large-load interconnection reform is the center of gravity: DOE’s push tests who pays for gigawatt-scale AI campuses, while Digital Realty and Equinix’s reported atNorth bids show capital chasing cooler, power-rich Nordic capacity. IN THIS EPISODE 1. Secretary of Energy Directs FERC to Initiate Rulemaking to Expedite Data Center and Large Load Interconnection - Gibson Dunn [https://www.gibsondunn.com/secretary-of-energy-directs-ferc-to-initiate-rulemaking-to-expedite-data-center-and-large-load-interconnection] — Gibson Dunn  Mobile Navigation # Secretary of Energy Directs FERC to Initiate Rulemaking to Expedite Data Center and Large Load Interconnection Client Alert  |  October 29, 2025 *The Secretary’s Direction included a proposed draft Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for FERC’s consideration, with a deadline for… 2. Step Back — Everyone keeps talking about FERC speeding up large-load interconnection, but isn’t the real accounting fight around hybrid campuses: when a data center shows up with behind-the-meter gas, batteries, or contracted supply, should the grid study the gross load, the net import, or the failure mode when that supply trips? BACKGROUND SOURCES * Unpacking DOE's proposal to transform data center interconnection  | Latitude Media [https://www.latitudemedia.com/news/catalyst-unpacking-does-proposal-to-transform-data-center-interconnection/] — Shayle Kann * Bring Your Own Generation (BYOG): Accelerating the… | PA Consulting [https://www.paconsulting.com/insights/bring-your-own-generation-byog-accelerating-the-path-to-power-supply-solutions] — PA Consulting * Structuring Behind-the-Meter Generation to Manage FERC Jurisdiction - Davis Graham [https://davisgraham.com/news-events/structuring-behind-the-meter-generation-to-manage-ferc-jurisdiction/] — Caroline Schorsch * FirstEnergy asks FERC to require data centers to pay for transmission interconnection costs | Utility Dive [https://www.utilitydive.com/news/firstenergy-ferc-data-center-transmission-interconnection/822333/] — Ethan Howland * The jurisdictional collision over large loads and data center interconnection | Energy Law Report [https://www.energylawreport.com/2026/06/12/the-jurisdictional-collision-over-large-loads-and-data-center-interconnection/] — Sean Aasen * This Week in Hyperscaling: DOE Offers FERC Two Flavors of "Co-Location" [https://elizabethkwhitney.substack.com/p/this-week-in-hyperscaling-doe-offers] — Elizabeth K. Whitney * An outdated FERC policy is undermining the White House’s ratepayer protection pledge | Utility Dive [https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-transmission-policy-white-house-ratepayer-protection-peskoe/815438/] — Ari Peskoe * From Rejection To National Rulemaking: The Federal Regulatory Framework For Data Center Power Is Taking Shape - Renewables - United States [https://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/renewables/1785802/from-rejection-to-national-rulemaking-the-federal-regulatory-framework-for-data-center-power-is-taking-shape] — RJ Colwell 3. Digital Realty and Equinix battle for atNorth for €4.5 billion - Techzine Global [https://www.techzine.eu/news/infrastructure/136803/digital-realty-and-equinix-battle-for-atnorth-for-e4-5-billion] — Techzine # Digital Realty and Equinix battle for atNorth for €4.5 billion   **Digital Realty and a consortium of Equinix and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board are both… Daily TopFive for The Data Center Daily. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate The Data Center Daily on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-data-center-daily/id1896355970] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2miCD1T5sntF7t77eRk8xv]. Feedback? Email data-center-daily@lanternpodcasts.com [data-center-daily@lanternpodcasts.com].

Stargate Wisconsin Meets the Grid-and-Water Reality Check — June 15, 2026

OpenAI, Oracle and Vantage’s Port Washington Stargate plan puts Wisconsin’s grid, water and transmission constraints under the microscope, alongside FERC’s large-load interconnection fight and PJM’s urgent speed-to-power problem. IN THIS EPISODE 1. Data Center Cooling Water Discharge: Assessing Environmental Transparency and Information Gaps [https://repository.uclawsf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1664&context=hastings_environmental_law_journal] — UC Law Environmental Journal UC Law Environmental Journal UC Law Environmental Journal Volume 32 Number 2 Article 4 5-13-2026 # Data Center Cooling Water Discharge: Assessing Environmental Data Center Cooling Water Discharge: Assessing Environmental # Transparency and Information Gaps Transparency and Information Gaps Katherine Kim Follow this and additional works at: … 2. OpenAI, Oracle and Vantage Data Centers Announce Stargate Data Center Site in Wisconsin - Vantage Data Centers [https://vantage-dc.com/news/openai-oracle-and-vantage-data-centers-announce-stargate-data-center-site-in-wisconsin] — Vantage Data Centers [Skip to content](#content) [](https://vantage-dc.com/) [Home](https://vantage-dc.com/) / OpenAI, Oracle and Vantage Data Centers Announce Stargate Data Center Site in Wisconsin # OpenAI, Oracle and Vantage Data Centers Announce Stargate Data Center Site in Wisconsin #### Vantage’s $15B+ investment… 3. FERC Large-Load Interconnection Preliminary Rulemaking: Key Takeaways for Data Center Developers, Other Large Load Projects, and Investors | Insights | Mayer Brown [https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/insights/publications/2025/11/ferc-large-load-interconnection-preliminary-rulemaking-key-takeaways-for-data-center-developers-other-large-load-projects-and-investors] — Mayer Brown  # FERC Large-Load Interconnection Preliminary Rulemaking: Key Takeaways for Data Center Developers, Other Large Load Projects, and Investors In late October 2025, at the direction of the Secretary of the US Department of… 4. PJM’s Speed to Power Problem and How to Fix It - RMI [https://rmi.org/pjms-speed-to-power-problem-and-how-to-fix-it] — RMI   Learn how we are working to transform how we use and produce energy. # PJM’s Speed to Power Problem and How to Fix It Overlooked interconnection improvements are key to alleviating PJM’s cost and capacity crises. ### ### Why we… 5. Step Back — With OpenAI, Oracle and Vantage now pointing Stargate at Wisconsin, what are the under-the-hood site-selection advantages there — ATC/MISO deliverability, generation mix, tax and permitting posture, water, fiber — and which of those are genuinely scarce versus just press-release gloss? BACKGROUND SOURCES * OpenAI, Oracle and Vantage Data Centers Announce Stargate Data Center Site in Wisconsin - Vantage Data Centers [https://vantage-dc.com/news/openai-oracle-and-vantage-data-centers-announce-stargate-data-center-site-in-wisconsin/] — Vantage Dc * OpenAI, Oracle and Vantage Data Centers Announce Stargate Data Center Site in Wisconsin [https://www.digitalbridge.com/news/2025-10-22-openai-oracle-and-vantage-data-centers-announce-stargate-data-center-site-in-wisconsin] — Digitalbridge * Data center ‘extension cord’ draws landowners’ ire - E&E News by POLITICO [https://www.eenews.net/articles/data-center-extension-cord-draws-landowners-ire/] — Jeffrey Tomich * OpenAI, Oracle, and Vantage plan Stargate Wisconsin data center, expected to be 'close to a gigawatt' - DCD [https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/openai-oracle-and-vantage-plan-stargate-wisconsin-data-center-expected-to-be-close-to-a-gigawatt/] — Datacenterdynamics * OpenAI Stargate: where the US sites stand [https://epochai.substack.com/p/openai-stargate-where-the-us-sites] — Elliot Stewart * OpenAI, Oracle and Vantage Data Centers Announce Stargate Data Center Site in Wisconsin | Financial Post [https://financialpost.com/pmn/business-wire-news-releases-pmn/openai-oracle-and-vantage-data-centers-announce-stargate-data-center-site-in-wisconsin] — Financial Post Daily TopFive for The Data Center Daily. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate The Data Center Daily on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-data-center-daily/id1896355970] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2miCD1T5sntF7t77eRk8xv]. Feedback? Email data-center-daily@lanternpodcasts.com [data-center-daily@lanternpodcasts.com].

FERC’s Large-Load Clock Meets Hyperscale’s Capacity Surge — June 14, 2026

FERC’s large-load interconnection docket has a June 2026 action marker, as state regulators press jurisdictional limits and Synergy Research shows hyperscale capacity nearly tripling since 2018. The buildout story is shifting from abstract AI demand to queues, tariffs, water and siting. IN THIS EPISODE 1. FERC to Act on Large Load Interconnection Docket by June 2026 [https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/news/ferc-act-large-load-interconnection-docket-june-2026] — Federal Energy Regulatory Commission # FERC to Act on Large Load Interconnection Docket by June 2026 | Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Skip to main content](https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/news/ferc-act-large-load-interconnection-docket-june-2026#main-content) [FERC Federal Energy Regulatory… 2. [PDF] Interconnection of Large Loads to the Interstate Transmission ... [https://pubs.naruc.org/pub/25031BF3-C5E4-85FA-243B-A3D2E5DC82A0] — National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners 1 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION Interconnection of Large Loads to the ) Docket No. RM26-4-000 Interstate Transmission System ) INITIAL COMMENTS OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REGULATORY UTILITY COMMISSIONERS The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (“NARUC”), respectfully submits these comments responding to the Federal Energy Regulatory… 3. Step Back — With DOE now pushing FERC toward a large-load interconnection rule by mid-2026, what is the actual jurisdictional hook here — and how much of the data-center queue problem can FERC change before it runs into state siting authority, retail-service rules, and utility-by-utility dealmaking? BACKGROUND SOURCES * FERC to Act on Large Load Interconnection Docket by June 2026 | Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/news/ferc-act-large-load-interconnection-docket-june-2026] — Federal Energy Regulatory Commission * FERC Sets June Action on DOE’s Large Load Interconnection Plan Putting Federal-State Boundaries at the Center of What Comes Next - Law Offices of Snell & Wilmer [https://www.swlaw.com/publication/ferc-sets-june-action-on-does-large-load-interconnection-plan-putting-federal-state-boundaries-at-the-center-of-what-comes-next/] — Swlaw * DOE directs FERC to accelerate interconnection of data centers | White & Case LLP [https://www.whitecase.com/insight-alert/doe-directs-ferc-accelerate-interconnection-data-centers] — White & Case LLP * DOE large load interconnection proposal sparks federal-state jurisdiction concerns | Utility Dive [https://www.utilitydive.com/news/doe-large-load-interconnection-ferc-naruc/806278/] — Ethan Howland * FERC Sets June Deadline to Rewrite Large-Load Grid Rules for AI-Era Power Demand [https://www.powermag.com/ferc-sets-june-deadline-to-rewrite-large-load-grid-rules-for-ai-era-power-demand/] — Sonal C. Patel * Faster Interconnections for Large Loads Are Coming: What to Know | Insights & Events | Bradley [https://www.bradley.com/insights/publications/2026/03/faster-interconnections-for-large-loads-are-coming-what-to-know] — Tonya L. Meier * States are already working on solutions to large-load challenges | Utility Dive [https://www.utilitydive.com/news/states-ferc-large-load-tariff-doe-christie/816672/] — Mark Christie 4. Hyperscale Spending Spree is Driving Dramatic Growth in Data Center Capacity | Synergy Research Group [https://www.srgresearch.com/articles/hyperscale-spending-spree-is-driving-dramatic-growth-in-data-center-capacity] — Synergy Research Group ## Hyperscale Spending Spree is Driving Dramatic Growth in Data Center Capacity RENO, NV, December 19, 2025 New Q3 data from Synergy Research Group shows that the number of large data centers operated by hyperscale providers has climbed to 1,297 worldwide, nearly tripling since early 2018. Over the same period, total operational capacity has increased more than fourfold as average data center… 5. Data centers and water - Project Finance NewsWire [https://www.projectfinance.law/publications/data-centers-and-water] — Project Finance NewsWire  # Data centers and water **July 14, 2025** | By [Rachel Rosenfeld](https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en-us/people/1016333) in Washington, DC, [Scott Burton](https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en-us/people/1017946) in Los Angeles and Washington, DC and [Kayce Kasten… Daily TopFive for The Data Center Daily. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate The Data Center Daily on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-data-center-daily/id1896355970] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2miCD1T5sntF7t77eRk8xv]. Feedback? Email data-center-daily@lanternpodcasts.com [data-center-daily@lanternpodcasts.com].

ERCOT’s AI Load Wave Hits the Cost-Allocation Wall — June 12, 2026

ERCOT’s data-center queue has ballooned to 519 large-load requests in two years, sharpening fights at FERC and in Congress over who pays for AI-driven grid upgrades as Meta locks in new power and capacity deals. IN THIS EPISODE 1. Texas grid slammed by 519 power-hungry AI data center requests in just two years [https://www.thecooldown.com/green-tech/texas-data-centers-electricity-impact-power-grid/] — The Cool Down Texas grid slammed by 519 power-hungry AI data center requests in just two years Photo Credit: iStock Proposed AI data centers are poised to put a new kind of pressure on Texas' power system as their electricity needs climb, The Texas Tribune reported. That potential demand is arriving as the grid has come under intense scrutiny in recent years. ### What's happening? According to The… 2. ‘Buckle up’: FERC, lawmakers grapple with data center costs - E&E News by POLITICO [https://www.eenews.net/articles/buckle-up-ferc-lawmakers-grapple-with-data-center-costs/] — POLITICO ‘Buckle up’: FERC, lawmakers grapple with data center costs - E&E News by POLITICO - Skip to primary navigation - Skip to main content - Skip to footer # ‘Buckle up’: FERC, lawmakers grapple with data center costs Speakers at POLITICO’s Energy Summit pressed for more government action to ensure utility ratepayers don’t bear the costs of an energy-intensive AI boom. Federal Energy Regulatory… 3. RWE secures Meta PPA on 298-MW Texas solar project [https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2026/06/rwe-secures-meta-ppa-on-298-mw-texas-solar-project/] — Solar Power World # RWE secures Meta PPA on 298-MW Texas solar project Author: Billy Ludt Published: 2026-06-11T16:52:58+00:00 Source: solarpowerworldonline.com (solarpowerworldonline.com) Language: en ## Story RWE secures Meta PPA on 298-MW Texas solar project RWE and Meta have arranged a long-term corporate power purchase agreement (PPA) for the electricity generated by the 298-MWAC Rabbit’s Foot Solar… 4. Reliance, Meta Partner to Build AI-Enabled Data Centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat [https://telecomtalk.info/reliance-meta-ai-datacentre-in-gujarat-jamnagar/1008451/] — TelecomTalk Reliance, Meta Partner to Build AI-Enabled Data Centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat × ### Highlights - Reliance and Meta have partnered to develop a 168 MW AI-enabled data centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat. - The facility will be Meta's first built-to-suit data centre in India. - Reliance will provide end-to-end services, from design and construction to operations and utility management. Live #### Hardik… 5. NVIDIA's First Co-Packaged Optics Switch Lands at Lambda, Cutting 3kW Per Rack and Freeing Power for 3,137 Extra GPUs [https://wccftech.com/nvidia-first-co-packaged-optics-switch-lands-at-lambda-cutting-3kw-per-rack/] — Wccftech # NVIDIA's First Co-Packaged Optics Switch Lands at Lambda, Cutting 3kW Per Rack and Freeing Power for 3,137 Extra GPUs Author: Hassan Mujtaba Published: 2026-06-11T09:05:13+00:00 Source: wccftech.com (wccftech.com) Language: en ## Story NVIDIA's First Co-Packaged Optics Switch Lands at Lambda, Cutting 3kW Per Rack and Freeing Power for 3,137 Extra GPUs # NVIDIA’s First Co-Packaged Optics… Daily TopFive for The Data Center Daily. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate The Data Center Daily on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-data-center-daily/id1896355970] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2miCD1T5sntF7t77eRk8xv]. Feedback? Email data-center-daily@lanternpodcasts.com [data-center-daily@lanternpodcasts.com].