2026.03.12 | Are Ratepayers Bankrolling AI? FERC & The Data Center Boom

As hyperscale data centers swallow unprecedented levels of power, a fierce battle is erupting over who will foot the bill for the massive grid upgrades required. We unpack how FERC is utilizing the Mobile-Sierra presumption to legally shield residential ratepayers from the infrastructure costs of staggering interconnect pipelines, like Exelon's 18-gigawatt queue. The episode also explores the intense clash over reliability forecasts between Grid Strategies and NERC, alongside Big Tech's new "Utilize" coalition fighting to squeeze more out of a grid running at only 53% capacity. Listen now to understand the high-stakes financial and physical strategies shaping utility rate cases and the future of infrastructure planning.