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Tuesday, May 12, 2026

May 12, 2026 · 2 min read
Today's issue is about how fast policymakers are trying to stretch the power system. Congress just gave stalled hydro projects more runway, EPA is proposing looser construction rules for gas plants and data centers, and governors are getting louder about who controls reliability and price. Underneath all of it, the AI buildout is still driving the hardware, fuel, and siting fights.
 

Top Stories

'BUILD MORE HYDRO' BILL CLEARS CONGRESS
KULR8
The new law gives pre-2020 hydropower projects up to six more years to get built, preserving a large backlog of delayed capacity.

EPA WOULD LET BIG LOAD PROJECTS START SOONER
Inside Climate News
The Trump EPA wants gas plants, factories, and data centers to begin construction before final air permits are issued.

MARYLAND TAKES ITS PJM BEEF PUBLIC
Maryland Matters
Gov. Wes Moore took Maryland's complaints over grid planning and electric costs straight to PJM's annual meeting.

BLUE STATES STILL LEAN ON FOSSIL POWER
Forbes
Political rhetoric keeps running against fossil fuels even as blue-state grids still depend on them to keep the lights on.

U.S. LNG LEAD GETS AN AI DEMAND BOOST
Forbes
Rising LNG demand, geopolitical risk, and AI-driven electricity growth are strengthening America's position in global gas markets.

 

Power & Grid

MICHIGAN SOLAR PERMITTING RULES SURVIVE COURT FIGHT
Bridge Michigan
An appeals court largely upheld state renewable-siting rules that limit local control, while ordering some changes around permitting details.

TENNESSEE DEBUTS SOLAR FARM WITH CATTLE UNDERNEATH
The Tennessean
A Christiana project is pairing commercial-scale solar generation with cattle grazing, another test case for agrivoltaics and land-use compromise.

DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT COULD REACH DEEPER INTO ENERGY
The National Law Review
A Bracewell analysis says refinery operators and energy suppliers should prepare for broader federal use of Defense Production Act powers.

COAL COUNTRY'S HEALTH MATH GETS MORE COMPLICATED
WhoWhatWhy
As coal jobs fade, communities are seeing the tension between the health costs of mining and the health benefits of stable employment.

PAWLENTY TAKES OVER THE SOLAR LOBBY
Minnesota Star Tribune
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty will take over SEIA in June, giving the solar industry a new GOP messenger.

 

Data Centers

AI BOOM HINGES ON THE TINY PARTS TOO
Bloomberg Businessweek
The chip story is only part of the buildout. Connectors, capacitors, power controls, and cooling components are becoming critical bottlenecks.

AMAZON RACES TO REBUILD DATA CENTERS FOR AI
Business Insider
AWS's internal Titus project is aimed at faster AI data-center construction, liquid cooling, and facilities built for power-hungry new chips.

AI POWER RUSH PUTS NATURAL GAS BACK ON TOP
Business Insider
AI companies are leaning on natural gas as the fastest way to bring large data-center loads online, complicating earlier renewable plans.

OHIO REPORT: DATA CENTERS COULD ACCELERATE GREEN ENERGY
The Columbus Dispatch
A new Ohio report argues data-center demand could accelerate clean energy if lawmakers create the right market and siting rules.

UTAH TIES DATA CENTERS TO THE AI ARMS RACE
Deseret News
Gov. Spencer Cox is defending big data-center development as part of a broader national-security contest over artificial intelligence.

 

Stat of the Day

2.5 GW

baseload power tied to nearly 40 delayed hydro projects
Supporters of the new Build More Hydro law say the extension could unstick a meaningful backlog of already-licensed capacity.
KULR8 report ↗

 

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