"The outlook for electric grid reliability in North America is worsening, as demand may outpace supply in the years ahead, according to a key watchdog.

In its annual Long-Term Reliability Assessment, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) warned that demand from new data centers and other large loads is expected to outpace energy supply growth.

The international regulatory authority significantly ratcheted up its 10-year summer peak demand forecast, expecting demand growth to be 69 percent higher than what it projected in last year’s report. 

“New data centers for artificial intelligence and the digital economy account for most of the projected increase in North American electricity demand over the next 10 years,” NERC’s report said."

Rachel Frazin reports for The Hill January 29, 2026. [2]