Regulation

Amazon and Meta’s plans to secure electricity for their data centers from nuclear power centers—to serve their ever-increasing AI and cloud computing needs—have been thwarted by federal and environmental regulations.

Key Points:

• Meta was due to build an AI data center, situated next to an operational nuclear power plant so it could tap into its power, but a rare species of bees has been found on-site, so they’ve been forced to scrap the project.
• Amazon signed a $650M deal with nuclear power company, Talen Energy, to expand the plant and directly connect to its power, but the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has rejected the proposal.

Dave Roberts, on yesterday’s Volts podcast, interviewed Charles Hua, who is launching Powerlines.org, an advocacy organization dedicated to  help modernize state-level PUCs.   For anyone interested in PUC structural reform, the podcast is a good overview of the issues, and group in Reno is looking at reforms at our state PUC.

In Nevada, the Nevada Public Utilities Commission (NPUC) is the critical regulator.  Reno/Sparks CCLer, Brian Thornton, is interested in encouraging the NPUC to move from “cost of service” regulation (“COS”) to “performance-based” regulation (“PBR”).   It’s a complex issue, and if you are interested in participating, contact Brian at this email.

from NY Times If the regulation is implemented, it will be the first time the federal government has limited carbon emissions from existing power plants, which generate 25 percent of U.S. greenhouse gases. By Coral Davenport and Lisa…