US Energy Regulator to Soon Make Data Center Connection Decision

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will “take action” by next June on the Trump administration’s call to reform the way large electricity consumers, like power-hungry data centers, connect to the nation’s electrical grid, the agency said Thursday.

FERC’s commitment comes in response to a request for an advance notice of proposed rulemaking issued by Energy Secretary Chris Wright in October. Wright’s proposal aims for large electrical loads to quickly be integrated into the nation’s transmission system.

The Energy Department’s request was highly unusual, and it immediately raised questions from lawmakers and others about the commission’s independence. FERC Chair Laura Swett ...