2026.03.02 | The $31B Rate Hike: Are Consumers Bankrolling the AI Grid?

U.S. utilities requested an unprecedented $31 billion in rate increases for 2025, essentially asking everyday customers to bankroll the massive infrastructure upgrades needed for the AI boom. We unpack the escalating interconnection crisis, highlighting ERCOT's projected 200,000 MW queue and the systemic grid volatility risks if massive data centers abruptly unplug. The discussion also navigates contradictory federal interventions, contrasting the EPA's rollback of the MATS emissions rule with the DOE utilizing emergency powers to keep legacy coal plants online. Listen now to understand how these colliding financial and regulatory pressures are fast-tracking reciprocating engine orders and fueling a wave of state-level tech moratoriums.