New York: A co-chair of the U.S. Congressional Artificial Intelligence (AI) Task Force has called on federal energy regulators to prioritize the development of data centers co-located with power plants, emphasizing their importance for national security and maintaining global AI competitiveness.
In a letter dated December 5, Congressman Jay Obernolte urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to swiftly implement rules that facilitate AI expansion, which requires substantial energy resources. Obernolte advocated for enabling co-located AI data centers, which directly connect to power plants, bypassing the broader grid.
“As their energy requirements increase, the development of co-located energy production will be instrumental in mitigating grid strain, improving resilience, and reducing carbon emissions,” wrote Obernolte, a Republican from California.
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The concept of co-location, which allows data centers to power up more efficiently, has sparked debate among regulators. Critics have raised concerns about the potential impact on the reliability of the national grid.
Last month, FERC denied a request to expand capacity at an Amazon data center connected to a Talen Energy nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania. The decision, made in a 2-1 vote, reflected concerns about diverting nuclear-generated electricity to the data center and its potential strain on the broader electrical system.
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Obernolte called for decisive action, stating, “I urge the Commission to reject any continued delay on these decisions as you move forward shaping the nation’s energy future.”
Talen Energy has since requested a rehearing on its interconnection agreement with FERC, while Constellation Energy, the largest operator of nuclear power plants in the U.S., has filed its own complaint regarding co-location policies.
