The Grid’s New Blind Spot: Why Demand Volatility May Be the Next Frontier in Rate Design

The Grid’s New Blind Spot: Why Demand Volatility May Be the Next Frontier in Rate Design

AI-driven digital loads are reshaping not just how much electricity the grid uses, but how it behaves. Traditional tariffs price magnitude and timing, not volatility. Aligning rates with demand behavior—without mandates—may be the next quiet evolution in cost-of-service regulation.


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The Climate Outside the Fence: Why cooling conditions belong in every AI data-center siting model

The Climate Outside the Fence: Why cooling conditions belong in every AI data-center siting model

The International Energy Agency’s July 2026 Electricity Mid-Year Update identifies expanding data-center capacity as one of the structural forces accelerating global power demand. The IEA expects worldwide electricity consumption to grow 3.6 percent in 2026 and 3.8 percent in 2027, reaching approximately 30,700 terawatt-hours. Its more focused April assessment of energy and artificial intelligence estimates that data-center electricity consumption increased 17 percent in 2025, while consumption


Brandon Owens

Brandon Owens