Overview
- At the State of the Union, President Trump announced a voluntary Rate Payer Protection Pledge, saying major tech firms agreed to cover their own power needs to prevent household bill increases, though no companies were named.
- Amazon detailed a $12 billion buildout across Louisiana’s Caddo and Bossier parishes with 540 full-time jobs and about 1,700 supporting roles, partnering with SWEPCO to pay 100% of required grid upgrades.
- The Louisiana plan includes up to $400 million for public water infrastructure, use of only verified surplus water with limited water cooling, up to 200 megawatts of new solar, and a $250,000 local community fund.
- Regulatory and political scrutiny is intensifying: the White House has sought public pledges on cost protections, Microsoft issued a broad good‑neighbor commitment for new sites, and senators introduced the bipartisan GRID Act to shield consumers and prioritize residential access.
- Pressure on infrastructure is mounting globally, with Ofgem disclosing roughly 140 UK data center connection requests totaling about 50 gigawatts, and local opposition helping block an estimated $98 billion in U.S. projects alongside new restrictions and temporary moratoria.