Amid headlines blaming AI for soaring power bills, a Berkeley Lab/Brattle analysis adds needed nuance: large loads can lower average rates where spare capacity exists, while aging infrastructure, wildfire mitigation, storms, and some mandate-driven procurement are major price drivers. Regulators and politicians are responding in real time: Virginia’s statewide races are now openly about who pays for grid growth, utilities are proposing special rate classes for hyperscale users, Michigan’s MPSC is weighing stricter IRP guardrails […]
Post Tagged with: "Data Center Moratorium"
Zoning In
This week’s Zoning In tracks a surge of new data center proposals—and growing resistance—stretching from Texas and Georgia to Wisconsin, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, and beyond. Communities are raising alarms over water consumption, grid strain, noise, and transparency, prompting local officials to consider moratoria, tighten zoning rules, and even rescind prior approvals. At the same time, states like Missouri and Pennsylvania grapple with shielding ratepayers from rising energy costs while attracting billions in AI-driven investment. […]
Zoning In
This week’s lead story: St. Charles, Missouri, has become the first U.S. city to enact a citywide moratorium on data centers. The one-year ban underscores a growing wave of data center community resistance that has already stalled or stopped more than $64 billion in projects across 24 states. At the same time, in Arizona, Project Blue has resurfaced — Beale Infrastructure is pressing ahead in Pima County even after Tucson blocked water access and residents […]

