Happy Monday. Data centers are getting plenty of airtime at city council meetings—they rank as the second-most prominent topic nationwide. The first? Pickleball courts, of course. And while most Americans don’t want data centers in their backyards, they’re pretty open to pickleball infrastructure. So, as one X user proposed, why not plop these courts on top of data centers? 🎾
— Molly, Carrie, and the Energy Central editorial team
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Louisiana’s data center buildout is landing on the state ballot—here’s why we’re paying attention. 👀
Meta is building its biggest data center yet in Louisiana, where residents already face surging energy costs—and the country’s highest poverty rate. Now, a growing large-load pipeline could exacerbate power bill burdens in the Pelican State.
The data center buildout will largely be shaped by the state's Public Service Commission, which has two seats up for election this midterms.
The background: Louisiana has attracted multibillion-dollar projects with generous tax breaks. Meanwhile, the Republican-majority PSC has a record of data center-friendly decisions. Last year, the commission adopted a controversial fast-track review process for utility generation that serves large loads like data centers (if these customers promise to cover half of the costs).
The PSC has also gotten flak for its handling of Meta’s $50B, 5-GW data center now under construction in Richland Parish. Last year, the commission approved Entergy’s plan to build three grid-connected gas plants for the facility. Entergy and Meta have since agreed to tack on seven more gas plants (the PSC is set to vote on these additions in December, before new commissioners take office).
Tomorrow’s vote: Ratepayers will pick new representatives for District 1 in the state's Southeast tip, and District 5 in the North (which includes Meta’s data center).
Here’s who’s on the ballot. 👇
For District 1:
Connie Norris (D): A retired educator who’s advocating for lower utility bills.
Stephanie Hilferty (R): A current state rep, Hilferty is campaigning to reduce energy costs, hold utilities accountable, and demand more transparency from power companies.
Chris Justin (Unaffiliated): An engineer and former consultant to the PSC, Justin wants to order data centers to cover their infrastructure and power costs, and end utility campaign contributions.
For District 5:
James Green (D): Green is a pastor campaigning on lowering energy bills and directing data centers to foot their grid costs.
John Atkins (R): The current Caddo Parish Commissioner, his platform centers on boosting utility transparency, bringing down rates, and lowering taxes. Atkins has ties to the oil & gas sectors.
If Dems win both seats, they would flip the commission’s majority. But regardless of the outcome, “there's going to be a big change,” said Alaina DiLaura, policy coordinator at the nonpartisan PSC watchdog group, Alliance for Affordable Energy. That’s because the incumbents have held their seats for two decades.
What the new commissioners will decide: They’ll have a say over utilities’ upcoming integrated resource plans (the PSC is scheduled to decide on Entergy’s next IRP in 2028). They’ll also run the fast-track approval process for data center generation, influencing the types of capacity built by utilities and deciding whether the costs are reasonable.
The big question for the PSC: If data centers decide to abandon these projects, “how does that fall on consumers?” said Asti Davis Robins, director of climate justice at Louisiana voter education group The Power Coalition.
Learning from the past? Today’s data center buildout reminds Robins of Louisiana’s 20th-century oil and gas boom. “They were fast-tracking these projects and not considering the adverse effects to the public,” Robins said. “It makes me feel like we're making the same mistake twice.”
But now, the PSC vote offers “the opportunity to slow it down—and demand what other states have demanded of these utility companies and large industrial companies,” she said.
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The DOE’s spending streak continues: The agency is doling out >$230M to beef up the grid supply chain. 💵
The funds: The DOE is offering up to $50M for projects that refurbish and reuse existing grid equipment, and another $187M for ones that rely on US-produced materials. This marks the first tranche distributed through the department’s $375M Grid Supply Chain Program.
The payback: This initiative will deliver around $125M in annual utility savings, according to the DOE.
The pattern: Last week, the DOE announced that it’s loaning a total $10B to Alliant Energy and Constellation to boost capacity in MISO and PJM.
Take two: PJM has applied FERC’s feedback to its emergency auction plan. 📝
The context: PJM has spent months developing an emergency capacity auction to close a nearly 7-GW supply gap for the 2028/29 delivery year. Last month, FERC accepted parts of the plan…and delayed the auction start date until late February.
The latest: On Thursday, PJM sent FERC its amended plan, which it aims to kick off in March. The latest version addressed several of the commission’s concerns, including the potential for data center cost-shifting onto ratepayers. Now, PJM says it will divide costs based on the most recent load forecasts to ensure that newer facilities pay their fair share.
Ouch: This wasn’t FERC’s only rejection handed to PJM in recent weeks. Federal regulators also poked holes in the grid operator’s plan to curtail large loads lacking new capacity.
🍂 Q3 earnings updates are dropping like autumn leaves. We’ve got the latest:
Xcel Energy has increased its five-year capex plan by 17% to $70B. On the grid buildout agenda: adding 9.2 GW of renewables, 2.3 GW of storage, and 3.3 GW of natural gas. As more companies prioritize massive gas plants, Xcel’s clean energy push stands out.
Edison International said that its subsidiary Southern California Edison has lost nearly $2B in settlements related to the Eaton Fire, a destructive 2025 blaze. Edison International CEO Pedro J. Pizarro repeated his call for California lawmakers to reduce utilities’ wildfire liability, which he said would “help protect customer affordability and support investment in a safer, more reliable grid.”
Dominion reported that its contracted data center capacity in VA grew 13% between Dec. 2025 and Sept. 2026, reaching 55 GW. The company also noted that its Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project has reached 85% completion, which “reduces project risk.”
Exelon touted its utilities’ top reliability rankings, and noted that ComEd and Baltimore Gas and Electric saw hefty year-over-year earnings boosts (around 10% and 45%) amid recent rate increases.
With peak demand rising faster than new plants and infrastructure can be built, every megawatt of dependable capacity from devices customers already own is a megawatt utilities don't have to build or buy at peak prices.
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Thanks for reading. Have an energizing day!