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The Power Connection Digest logo in full color
September 3, 2026

Peter Cook, Editor

I checked into my hotel in Madrid on Tuesday night.  It was a long drive down from Pamplona (I dropped a daughter off “at university” as they say over there).  I headed to the hotel’s concierge lounge for a quick bite to eat.  What do you think was on the tv in the lounge of a hotel located 4000+ miles from home?  A lengthy segment on powering data centers in the U.S.!  Everyone is talking about it.

 

And if you want to talk to the people who are making it happen, please join us at the Marcellus Power Conference (Oct. 21-22 in Pittsburgh) and/or the Data Center Energy Industry Update (Nov. 2 in Houston).

 

Some of the confirmed speakers include Ron Gusek (CEO, Liberty Energy), Nina Sadighi (Eradeh Power Consulting), Nick Deiuliis (former CEO, CNX), Nate Franklin (CEO, Pacifico Energy), Kate Fowler (Global Head of Nuclear, WTW), Jose Ortega (Partner, FO Permian), Jim Summers (CEO, GPC Infrastructure), Prashant Khorani (Director, Data Product Owner – Asset Valuations, Wood Mackenzie), Morgan Madden (Associate, Babst Calland), Rob Gramlich (Founder & President, GridStrategies), Iain Gillott (Vice President, Innovation & Technology, Wireless Infrastructure Association), Dan Adamski (Executive Managing Director, Brokerage, JLL), Jason Jennaro (Co-Founder & CEO, FrontierGen), Karmen Rajamani (Vice President of Government Affairs, WIA), Nancy Zakhour (Board Member, Perma-Pipe & Veridity), and more!

 

And sponsors include INNIO, Infrastructure Masons, Emerson, Jenbacher, Revolution Power Solutions, Waukesha Engines, ComAp, Equipt.ai, Schaeffer’s, LRG, Hunt Valley Environmental, TorcSill, Liberty Energy, GridStrategies, Babst Calland, Alliant Global, the Wireless Infrastructure Association, and more!

 

Check the event websites for the agendas, speaker lineups, and more!

 

And now, the news…

The Power Connection Digest Issue #71

GRID Project Consent Order and Agreement: What Data Center Developers Need to Know

Babst Calland provides a great overview of the PA governor's executive order. You can hear from and meet with Babst Calland at the Marcellus Power Conference in Pittsburgh as well!

Read More
 

Pa. Gov. Shapiro says too many data center developers 'don't care about our communities'

Shapiro is one of several governors who have imposed new restrictions or called for greater scrutiny of data center development amid widespread public opposition to the projects, which has become a political flash point in the upcoming congressional and state elections.

Read More
 

Opinion: OH Guv Candidate Ramaswamy's data center plan could work for Appalachia but we have terms

Two state reps: If a company is going to build a facility in your township that consumes enormous amounts of electricity and water, the people who live next to it should be measurably better off for it. Measurably.

Read More
 

MN8 Energy, Google, and Eos Energy Enterprises Bring Advanced Clean Energy Solutions to West Virginia

The collaboration pairs utility-scale solar with lithium-ion energy storage and American-made, zinc-based long-duration energy storage to deliver new clean energy and capacity to the PJM grid.

Read More
 

Ohio city approves 30-year power deal for Meta data center after $8 million public safety pledge

The final version is shorter than first proposed: commissioners reduced the term to 30 years from 40, required AES to pay Piqua $1 million annually, and gave the city the right to walk away if that payment stops. Separately, after talks about police, fire, and EMS needs, Meta pledged $8 million for public safety staffing and equipment.

Read More

Elon Just Attacked the Biggest Bottleneck in Power

Four companies cast the airfoils that gate 220 GW of turbine orders. SpaceX is building the fifth — and betting a decade+ on gas.

Read More
 

Data centre giant Vertiv acquires US microgrid specialist in $1.45bn cash deal

Vertiv has agreed to acquire UtilityInnovation Group, a US microgrid and power systems firm, for approximately $1.45 billion in cash, in a deal aimed at helping data centre operators secure power faster as grid constraints slow AI infrastructure rollouts globally.

Read More
 

Oklo Sinks 5% as PJM Pulls Its Meta-Backed Ohio Project, NuScale Power Barely Budges

PJM yanked a Meta-backed nuclear campus from its grid queue, hitting Oklo with a company-specific blow on top of a sector already reeling from surging Treasury yields. How those two pressures compound tells investors something important about every pre-revenue reactor…

Read More
 

The U.S. is about to churn out much more natural gas to power AI and to export—and it’s triggering a wave of multibillion-dollar acquisitions

As they prepare for a wave of new U.S. natural gas production to power AI data centers or for export overseas, the top pipeline players are quickly buying up their smaller private competitors to consolidate the industry and build out scale.

Read More
 

AI Data Centers Demand a New Model for Power Infrastructure

Unprecedented scale and load volatility are pushing developers beyond traditional generation strategies toward integrated, digitally orchestrated power systems built for speed, stability, and resilience.

Read More

Texas approves first 765-kV lines as Permian power demand strains grid

The Public Utility Commission of Texas unanimously approved two Oncor transmission projects on Aug. 28, clearing more than 400 miles of 765-kV infrastructure intended to serve growing Permian Basin power demand, according to the Texas Tribune.

Read More
 

Citi sees Permian Basin entering multi-year natural gas growth cycle

The Permian Basin is moving into a multi-year expansion phase for natural gas infrastructure that could ease the takeaway constraints that have long affected the region, according to Citi analysts.

Read More
 

Pecos Texas Is Poised To Be The Hottest “Data Center Alley” Play In The U.S.

A look at the Mag 7 powered land rush in Pecos and a scoop on a potential project yet to be announced….

Read More
 

Anthropic Reportedly Signs $35 Billion Lambda Cloud Deal For 350 MW Texas AI Data Center

The enormous infrastructure commitment highlights the escalating capital requirements behind Anthropic’s Claude AI platform as the company secures additional computing capacity to support model development and rapidly increasing customer demand.

Read More
 

Despite moratorium calls, Fort Worth OKs massive data center plan

Black Mountain Power’s $10B project moves forward with new design concessions aimed at buffering nearby residential areas. Congrats to Rhett Bennett and our friends at Black Mountain!

Read More

Sapphire Gas Solutions Acquires EDGE LNG, Expanding Vertically Integrated Mobile LNG Liquefaction Capabilities

The acquisition of EDGE expands Sapphire's LNG capabilities by adding approximately 200,000 gallons of daily LNG liquefaction capacity through modular equipment currently serving clients in the Southern U.S. This acquisition further strengthens Sapphire's vertically integrated model connecting customers to LNG.

Read More
 

Chevron's Microsoft data center deal was a bigger story than its earnings. Here's why.

The deal gives Chevron a stable, diversified revenue source through a take-or-pay power purchase agreement.

Read More
 

AI data centers are learning the power trick Bitcoin miners mastered first

One of the most promising answers to AI’s electricity problem begins with an almost heretical idea for the tech industry: sometimes the computer should just wait.

Read More
 

Why Safety is Crucial to Powering Always-On Data Centers

As data centers become larger, denser, and more power-hungry, engineers are forced to rethink how they manage safety and maintenance — and how both factor into uptime.

Read More

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