The Power Connection Digest logo in full color
May 20, 2026

Peter Cook, Editor

NextEra is buying Dominion to create one of the largest electric utilities in the world.  And it is all about data center power.  Wow.

 

Speaking of data center power, did you know that we are only 3 weeks from I am told is the very best conference focused on data center power in the world!  Seriously.  In the entire world!  Everyone I asked in my office agreed that this is the best one.  Are you going to be there?

 

You know who IS going to be there?  [I mean, besides EVERYBODY!]

 

Natura Resources is going to be there.  And so is Burns & McDonnell.  And Crosscut Gas Partners.  And JCL Energy.  And Geoforce.  And TCB Energy Services!  And Honfin Energy Assets!  They are all Gold Sponsors who have signed up since last week’s newsletter, and we’re thrilled to have them!

 

And alongside them we’ll have Reagan Power & Compression (Silver Sponsor), Camfil (Silver Sponsor), PDM (Logo Sponsor), and Project Vanguard (Supporting Organization).  Thank you for joining us!

 

There are too many great new speakers to mention. Check out the website to see the latest and greatest on the speaker lineup and agenda.

 

You may have seen our note from earlier this week.  Some scammers are emailing a bunch of people offering to sell the attendee list for the Permian Power Connection Conference.  They even stole our logo to add to their signature line!  Don’t believe them.  The attendee list is provided to our attendees for free in the conference app!  The sponsors can access the list two weeks out from the event.  The attendees can access it a week later.  Don’t be fooled.  Just register and you’ll get the list (and it offers the capability to add interests and specialties so you can identify and connect with the right people!).

 

And now, the news…

The Power Connection Digest Issue #56

NextEra plans to buy Dominion Energy for $66.8 billion, form biggest US power company as AI demand booms

U.S. power companies NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy announced a plan to merge on Monday in a $66.8 billion deal that will form one of the world's largest electric utilities during an expansion of energy-intensive data centers to support artificial intelligence.

Read More
 

Phillips 66 to expand gas processing in Permian Basin and Gulf Coast

The ​Zeus Gas Plant will have the capacity to process ⁠300 million cubic feet per day of gas and will include ​the new Midland Express pipeline, the company said.

Read More
 

Conduit offers details on West Texas power generation plans

The company announced plans in December to develop 200 megawatts of new natural gas power generation assets with financial backing from Diamondback Energy and Granite Ridge Resources. And now they shared a bit on where that power will be going.

Read More
 

Permian gas glut means producers are paying buyers to haul it away

In the Permian, gas prices have dipped below zero intermittently since 2019 as pipeline construction failed to keep pace with soaring production. But this year, negative pricing has been more pronounced than ever.

Read More
 

New Mexico: Phoenix Won’t Absorb It All. The Overflow Is Moving East

Power constraints, land limitations, and interconnection timelines in Phoenix are pushing demand outward. And when that demand moves, it does not disappear. It looks for the next place that can say yes. That place is New Mexico.

Read More

Record Power Burn Expected This Summer as Coal Retirements and Data Centers Drive Gas Demand

U.S. natural gas supply is expected to reach a record 117 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) this summer, but growing demand from LNG exports, data center load, industrial activity, and power generation is absorbing much of that growth, leaving less gas available for storage refill and a thinner cushion heading into next winter.

Read More
 

The lead time for a high-power grid transformer just stretched from 30 months to 5 years — bottlenecking every new AI data center trying to connect

The gap, now showing up in procurement timelines across the country, is quietly reshaping where and how fast the next generation of AI infrastructure can be built.

Read More
 

PJM granted emergency approval to curtail data centers due to hot weather concerns

Will only impact data centers and large loads with backup generation.

Read More
 

AEP just threatened to walk away from two power grids over connection delays as AI data-center demand buckles the nation’s largest utilities

The utility, serving more than 5.6 million customers across 11 states, has warned that it may abandon interconnection agreements with two regional power grids, citing years-long delays in getting new generation resources connected to the system.

Read More
 

PUC sets new rules as data centers drive surge in Pennsylvania power demand

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission this week finalized what it calls a first-of-its-kind tariff model designed to guide how utilities serve high-demand customers while protecting residential ratepayers.

Read More

Data center rush worsens shortages of power, grid workers

U.S. power developers could face delays and higher costs from shortages in electricians and other crafts, requiring faster rollout of skills and technology training.

Read More
 

AI data centers become key issue in West Texas congressional runoff

The candidates agreed that Texas is positioned to become a major hub for AI infrastructure as companies seek locations with ample land, electricity, and energy resources to power massive data centers. While both candidates supported AI investment, they approached the issue differently.

Read More
 

Go West, Young Man

Ian Fischer from DC Fervor takes a look at nuclear power for data centers.

Read More
 

A Megawatt Is Not the Same Everywhere

Across the United States, the same unit of power behaves differently depending on where you are standing. What looks like capacity on a map becomes something far more complex when you step into the local realities that shape how that capacity is allocated.

Read More

Subscribe

Looking to stay connected in the rapidly evolving Permian Basin? Look no further than The Power Connection Digest.

Subscribe to get our carefully curated summary of relevant news and analysis delivered to your inbox each Wednesday.

* indicates required

Share Your News

Send us your press releases and any other news articles which you believe would be of interest to our readers. Email submissions to power@the-power-connection.com

Advertising

Do you provide technology or services that would be beneficial to our readers? Advertise in our newsletters!