Catalyst with Shayle Kann Fresh intel from state utility regulatory filings
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Jul 3, 2025 Nat Bullard, cofounder of Halcyon, dives into the intricacies of utility regulatory filings, uncovering insights that reveal how utilities are grappling with unprecedented interconnection requests and the emergence of new tariff structures for large-load customers like data centers. He discusses historical parallels, sharing concerns about rising electricity rates, especially for smaller utilities. Nat also highlights the battle between factories and data centers for prime locations, and the growing costs tied to new gas generation, emphasizing the need for transparency in these projects.
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Historic Scale of Data Center Loads
- Utilities face unprecedented challenges from massive data center load increases altering grid demand radically.
- This scale of change rivals historic grid transformations like 1930s electrification and early 2000s deregulation.
Data Centers Displace Industry Sites
- The data center boom is squeezing other large industrial customers out of suitable grid interconnection sites.
- This competition complicates efforts to re-industrialize and electrify manufacturing in the U.S.
Rising Electricity Rates Ahead
- Electricity rates risk rising significantly due to large load growth, infrastructure costs, and inflationary pressures.
- Current legislation hinders rapid deployment of cheap distributed renewables, worsening rate pressure.