AI Buildout Runs Into Permits, Power Lines and Public Markets — May 13, 2026

Washington is trying to speed construction, states are adding water and ratepayer guardrails, and capital is still chasing the sector. The AI data center buildout is now a permitting, grid-capacity and financing story all at once. In this episode: Top stories: 1. EPA plan would let work start on data centers, power plants before air permits - E&E News by POLITICO — E&E News https://www.eenews.net/articles/epa-plan-would-let-work-start-on-data-centers-power-plants-before-air-permits-2/ 2. The $2 Trillion Interconnection Queue Bottleneck: What It's Costing Solar+Storage Projects — Illuminei https://www.illuminei.com/blog/the-2-trillion-interconnection-queue-bottleneck-what-it-s-costing-solar-storage-projects 3. DeSantis approves guardrails for data centers | GB Daily | gulfshorebusiness.com — Gulfshore Business https://www.gulfshorebusiness.com/gb-daily/desantis-approves-guardrails-for-data-centers/article_7f4c3abe-7e73-43a2-a536-6782c8e70a91.html 4. Meta’s $27 billion AI data center is transforming rural Louisiana — WVUE Fox 8 https://www.fox8live.com/2026/05/12/metas-27-billion-ai-data-center-is-transforming-rural-louisiana/ 5. Blackstone Launches $1.75B Data Center REIT IPO Amid AI Boom - Equity Capital Market — Equity Capital Market https://ecmsource.com/blackstone-digital-infrastructure-trust-bxdc-ipo-data-center-2026/ Follow and rate The Data Center Daily on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Feedback? Email [email protected]