A new study from Duke University says the existing power system could handle much of the demand growth expected in the coming years with no additional generation if artificial intelligence data centers can be persuaded to cut their energy use by as little as 1% during times of peak demand.

The U.S. electric power industry faces unprecedented challenges from the size, pace and impacts of demand growth and should look to new approaches for possible solutions, according to speakers at NASEO’s Energy Policy Outlook Conference.

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy looked into how to meet demand growth in its first hearing of the new Congress, which showed a clear partisan divide on how to meet it.

Participants at the United States Energy Association’s 2025 State of the Energy Industry Forum discussed topics such as demand growth, nuclear fusion and energy efficiency.

President Trump's executive orders on energy are not enough on their own for the industry to meet the rising demand for AI and data centers, and experts say another attempt at permitting reform is needed.

Virginia legislators introduced a series of bills they hope to pass in a short session this year aimed at addressing demand growth from data centers through cost allocation of utility rates, increased transparency in planning and tying tax incentives to efficiency requirements.

The data center dilemma centers first on a familiar mismatch of timescales. Utilities and their regulators tend to plan based on the small, incremental demand growth. But development and the power demand it generates move at ever-increasing digital speed.

A report from the Virginia legislature released shows how quickly data centers are growing in the state and addresses how to meet that demand, with some suggestions for policymakers.

EPRI launched its DCFlex initiative, which is meant to maximize demand flexibility from data centers to help them more quickly plug into the grid and provide demand response for emergencies.