Will US annual electricity sales to the commercial sector plus reported data center load growth, per EIA, show data-center-driven demand growth outpacing net generating capacity additions in 2027?

Interconnection capacity is the bottleneck

Firm dispatchable additions remain capped while renewables accredit at steep discounts against double-digit data center load growth, so reserve margins compress and capacity auction prices clear high. New large loads are refused or deferred in constrained subregions as the grid becomes the limiting factor on AI buildout. Steve Eisman argues power generation cannot keep pace with data center, onshoring and grid-aging demands, making energy availability the binding constraint. Jeremie Eliahou Ontiveros and Scott Galloway each point to accredited capacity shortfall and grid capacity as the constraint on further AI expansion.

4 voices