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EPISODE · Jul 15, 2026 · 13 MIN

The SCOTUS ruling behind America’s data center boom

from POLITICO Energy · host POLITICO

Why are AI data centers getting built so quickly? Part of the answer lies in a Supreme Court decision from 2023. POLITICO's Miranda Willson explains how that ruling — and actions by the Trump administration — have made it easier for many data centers to move through the federal permitting process, and why that has left some communities with fewer opportunities to weigh in on projects being built in their backyards. Plus, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is enacting the nation’s first state-level moratorium on large-scale data center construction, and electric and gas utilities across the country have requested a total of $18.6 billion in rate increases since the start of this year. Miranda Wilson covers water and environment for POLITICO. Nirmal Mulaikal is the co-host and executive producer of POLITICO Energy.  Yi-Jo Shen is a freelance video producer for POLITICO. Matt Daily is the energy editor for POLITICO. Debra Kahn is the editorial director for energy and environmental coverage at POLITICO. Veronica Tejera is the deputy head of Audio/Video at POLITICO. Our theme music is by Pran Bandi. Follow the show on Apple, Spotify, Youtube and Instagram. Follow POLITICO here:    ➤ X: https://x.com/politico/ ➤ Instagram:  / politico      ➤ Facebook:  / politico   For more reporting on energy and the environment, subscribe to Power Switch, our free evening newsletter: https://www.politico.com/power-switch And for even deeper coverage and analysis, read our Morning Energy newsletter by subscribing to POLITICO Pro: https://subscriber.politicopro.com/newsletter-archive/morning-energy

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