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Key developments
FERC orders grid operators to revise data-center rules
Federal energy regulators ordered the six major U.S. grid operators on June 22 to propose reforms within 60 days or defend existing rules for connecting data centers and other large loads. Within 30 days, each operator and its transmission owners must file an adequacy report on generation capacity for existing and new large loads. The order also directs review of co-location and behind-the-meter power arrangements and emphasizes protections against shifting data-center grid costs to residential and small-commercial customers.
Why it matters
The order puts federal pressure on grid operators to reconcile faster hyperscale interconnections with reliability and cost-allocation protections.
Sources & driving stories
KOTA
KOTA coverageOhio data-center ban misses 2026 ballot
Conserve Ohio said it will not submit its proposed constitutional amendment for the November ballot after missing the July 1 signature deadline. The measure would prohibit data centers with peak load above 25 megawatts per month, and the campaign needed more than 413,000 signatures from at least 44 counties; it reported more than 70,000 signatures as of June 18, while the Tribune Chronicle reported 76,626 valid signatures. The group says signatures remain valid because no filing occurred and it is now targeting the 2027 ballot.
Why it matters
A potential statewide ban is delayed, but Ohio’s local moratorium movement and tax-incentive debate remain active.
Sources & driving stories
THE VW INDEPENDENT
The VW Independent coverageTRIBUNE CHRONICLE
Tribune Chronicle coverageNvidia claims liquid cooling can curb water demand
Nvidia announced at London Climate Week a next-generation AI infrastructure cooling approach using recirculated liquid coolant containing water and propylene glycol, operating at 113 degrees Fahrenheit. Nvidia chief sustainability officer Josh Parker said the approach could largely address direct water consumption for future systems by reducing or eliminating additional chilling equipment. Microsoft data-center engineering executive Steve Solomon said it could remove mechanical chillers in most climates most of the time, though Nvidia did not disclose system costs and rollout across existing facilities would take years.
Why it matters
Water use is central to data-center permitting fights, and Nvidia is positioning cooling design as a technical answer to local opposition.
Sources & driving stories
AXIOS · Amy Harder
Axios coverageWorth noting
WORTH NOTING
Poll finds moratorium plurality
Milltown Partners polling shared with Axios found 49% of 6,872 registered voters supported a temporary construction ban on new data centers, while Grist reported the backlash is cutting across partisan lines.
WORTH NOTING
Virginia drought rules include data centers
Virginia Mercury reported that amid extreme drought in about one-third of the state, data centers face the same local water restrictions as other customers, with future Roanoke-area policy updates expected before Google begins water use in 2028.
WORTH NOTING
Australia scrutinizes Mamre Road scale
The Guardian reported that a proposed Sydney hyperscale site would span 52 hectares with six four-storey buildings, 936 cooling units and 852 diesel backup generators, as east-coast data-center load is projected to exceed 10% by the mid-2030s.
Still unclear
OPEN QUESTION
Can FERC speed connections without socializing costs?
Grid operators now face short deadlines to address interconnection, generation adequacy, co-location and behind-the-meter rules while protecting smaller ratepayers.
OPEN QUESTION
Will cooling advances change permitting fights?
Nvidia’s claims target direct facility water use, but retrofit timelines, installed-base cooling systems and water used for electricity generation remain unresolved.