US Considering Scrapping Multibillion-Dollar Power Auctions (1)

The top US energy regulatory agency will debate whether multibillion-dollar power auctions are still the best way to ensure sufficient electric supply amid a demand boom from artificial intelligence.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will hold a two-day conference in June to discuss the topic, and under discussion will be alternatives to these auctions, Chairman Mark Christie said in an interview in Washington. At the moment, there aren’t enough power plants getting built to meet demand growth that’s being accelerated by data centers, he said.

“What could be more important than not having enough power supply to keep the grid ...