The Daily Mine — Wednesday, March 25, 2026

FERC HANDS DATA CENTERS A WIN ON GRID ACCESS...
RTO Insider
Regulators rejected PJM's bid to deny transmission service to large loads, clearing the path for data center developers fighting for queue position across the Eastern Interconnection.

BALTIMORE MOVES TO BAN DATA CENTERS FOR A YEAR...
Baltimore Fishbowl
The City Council President plans to introduce a one-year moratorium, making Baltimore the first major US city to pursue an outright ban. The fight has officially left the countryside.

THEY VOTED YES ON GOOGLE'S DATA CENTER. NOW THEY FACE RECALL...
NBC News
Sand Springs residents need 5,000 signatures by March 31. At least five recall campaigns have targeted officials over data center approvals since 2022. None have made it to ballot yet.

NORTH CAROLINA GROUPS FILE SUIT, PUSH STATEWIDE BAN...
NC Health News
Environmentalists sued over a Stokes County data center rezoning while advocates simultaneously pushed state legislators for a ban on hyperscale facilities and cryptomining statewide.

NEW YORKERS WANT GREEN ENERGY — UNTIL THEY SEE THE BILL...
Times Union
New poll finds voters will accept new gas plants if it means lower utility costs. Affordability is overtaking ideology in the state's energy debate.

FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND TARIFF MAKES DATA CENTERS PAY THEIR OWN WAY...
Utility Dive
PPL Electric's Pennsylvania rate deal hikes residential bills 4.9% but creates the first utility tariff forcing data centers to fund their own infrastructure. Multiple states are already watching the precedent.

SANDERS AND AOC WANT TO FREEZE ALL DATA CENTER CONSTRUCTION...
The Guardian
New bill would impose a federal moratorium on new builds. At least 11 states are already considering their own bans. Sixty percent of Americans say the sector needs tighter regulation.

FEDS FINALLY ASK: HOW MUCH POWER ARE DATA CENTERS USING?
Reuters
The EIA is launching mandatory energy surveys in Virginia, Washington, and Texas. It is the first federal attempt to measure the AI buildout's actual electricity footprint, with a national rollout planned.

FROM FRINGE TO MAINSTREAM: MORATORIUM MOVEMENT HITS THE HILL...
Politico
What started as a Sanders solo act now has Frost, Jayapal, and a growing caucus behind it. Rising utility bills turned a radical idea into real legislation.

WHO PAYS FOR THE WIRES? WISCONSIN RATEPAYERS BRACE FOR AI COSTS...
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Investigation into whether homeowners will be forced to subsidize the transmission upgrades needed for the wave of AI data centers seeking grid connections across the state.

CRUSOE BETS BIG ON IRON-AIR BATTERIES: 12 GWH DEAL...
Data Center Dynamics
Crusoe signed one of the largest storage commitments ever for AI infrastructure with Form Energy. The iron-air deal was among the biggest announcements at CERAWeek this week.

NC MOUNTAIN TOWN VOTES 5-0 FOR DATA CENTER BAN...
Watauga Online
Boone's town council passed a one-year moratorium unanimously. Watauga County commissioners scheduled an April 21 hearing on a county-wide ban. Back-to-back action from a single Appalachian community.

$1.4 BILLION DATA CENTER HEADED TO LIBERTY, MISSOURI...
KMBC
The AI buildout pushes deeper into the Midwest. Liberty's new campus signals that hyperscalers are looking well beyond Virginia and Texas for their next wave of capacity.

PENNSYLVANIA WANTS DATA CENTERS TO DISCLOSE WATER USE BEFORE BUILDING...
PublicSource
New legislation would require water and energy consumption reporting before permits are issued. The transparency push is spreading at the state level as communities look for tools beyond moratoriums.

CAN A CITY CLAW BACK TAX BREAKS IT ALREADY GAVE A DATA CENTER?
Kansas City Star
A Missouri court will decide whether Independence can revoke incentives already granted. If they win, it could open an exit ramp for communities trapped by existing abatement deals.