Energy

Something is breaking in America’s electrical system, and AI is holding the hammer. This week, North America’s grid reliability watchdog NERC prepared to issue only its third-ever Level 3 alert — the highest severity — because AI data centers are threatening power grid stability. Microsoft is reportedly reconsidering its ambitious 2030 clean energy pledge. And the operator of America’s largest electrical grid published a paper saying the entire energy market needs to be redesigned. ...

The AI revolution has a landlord problem. It needs staggering amounts of power, water, and real estate — and the communities being asked to supply it are increasingly slamming the door. 300 Bills and Counting State lawmakers have proposed more than 300 bills in 2026 alone targeting data center construction and energy consumption. That’s not a slow regulatory awakening. That’s a stampede. The proposals span the political spectrum: construction moratoriums in New York, Maine, Vermont, Oklahoma, and Georgia. Virginia is weighing whether to scrap $1.6 billion in annual tax breaks. Democratic legislators in blue states and Republican legislators in red ones are pushing essentially the same restrictions — a genuinely rare phenomenon in 2026 American politics. ...