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Key developments
FERC orders faster large-load grid reviews
EnergyNow.com and ConstructConnect's Marshall Benveniste reported that FERC on June 18 ordered six regional grid operators — PJM, MISO, SPP, CAISO, ISO New England and NYISO — to justify or revise tariff rules for data centers and other large loads. The operators have 30 days to report on generation adequacy and 60 days to defend existing tariffs or propose revisions covering study timelines, co-location, flexible service options, cost allocation and consumer safeguards.
Why it matters
The orders directly target one of the biggest bottlenecks for AI data center deployment: speed-to-power on constrained U.S. grids.
Sources & driving stories
ENERGYNOW.COM
EnergyNow.com coverageCONSTRUCTCONNECT · Marshall Benveniste
ConstructConnect coverageVirginia budget adds data center electricity fee
Virginia Scope reported that a House-Senate budget conference report would charge data centers $0.011 per kilowatt-hour of monthly electricity consumption, capped at $600 million annually. The proposal is projected to raise $1.2 billion over fiscal 2027 and 2028 while preserving the state’s data center sales and use tax break. The report also directs Virginia DEQ to develop data center noise rules and cooling-water scarcity designations, and directs the State Corporation Commission to collect data on electric service agreements, water use and generator permitting.
Why it matters
Virginia is the largest U.S. data center market, so a consumption-based fee could reshape how other states tax and regulate large AI infrastructure loads.
Sources & driving stories
VIRGINIA SCOPE
Virginia Scope coverageRMZ targets 2–3 GW India capacity
Yahoo Finance carried Reuters reporting that India’s RMZ Infrastructure plans to expand from 250 MW of current data center capacity to 2–3 GW over five years as part of a $35 billion investment push. RMZ president Deepak Chhabria said three late-stage projects would lift capacity above 1 GW, and the company expects to acquire land by year-end capable of supporting about 2 GW. The expansion spans co-location data centers, AI factories and adjacent power, GPU and software infrastructure.
Why it matters
The plan signals continued acceleration in India’s AI infrastructure market, where hyperscalers and domestic conglomerates are competing for scarce power-backed capacity.
Sources & driving stories
YAHOO FINANCE
Yahoo Finance coverageWorth noting
WORTH NOTING
Counties stack moratoria and permits
Wilson County, Tennessee is preparing special-use and utility-impact requirements, La Crosse County, Wisconsin passed an 18-month moratorium by a 26-2 vote, and Michigan Senate Democrats announced seven data-center regulation bills focused on rates, water and grid reliability.
WORTH NOTING
Meta reportedly books 1.6 GW
Yahoo reported Bloomberg News findings that Meta signed new AI computing deals with Crusoe covering two data centers in Childress, Texas and Warrenton, Missouri with roughly 1.6 GW of combined capacity.
WORTH NOTING
Archbald hearing probes data-center noise
The Scranton Times-Tribune reported that Archbald, Pennsylvania deferred a decision on Project Green Mountain until July 13 after scrutiny of a preliminary sound study for seven proposed data centers and 196 backup diesel generators.
Still unclear
OPEN QUESTION
Will FERC’s deadlines produce tariff changes?
The 30- and 60-day deadlines are aggressive, but the real impact depends on whether regional grid operators adopt enforceable large-load rules that speed service without shifting costs to existing customers.
OPEN QUESTION
Does Virginia become a tax template?
A capped electricity-consumption fee would let Virginia keep data center incentives while extracting grid-related revenue, a model other high-growth states may examine.