// data center power

Source: Slashdot: Hardware

NextEra and Dominion's combination is a direct response to AI infrastructure's electricity needs—data centers now represent the fastest-growing load on the grid, and utilities are racing to position themselves as essential partners to cloud providers rather than commodity power suppliers. The deal consolidates control over transmission assets and renewable generation capacity precisely when hyperscalers are bidding aggressively for power purchase agreements, giving the merged entity outsized leverage in negotiations with Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. Utilities that can't anchor long-term contracts with AI companies face declining valuations, making consolidation existential rather than optional.