Data center builds typically have timelines of 18 to 24 months, gas and renewable power plans have timelines of three to five years, and new transmission development can take seven to ten years. In fact, it’s the power transmission grid that’s often the biggest constraint, the research firm says, more even than the power generation capacity.

The unit of Blackstone dedicated to investments in the energy industry has agreed to acquire Potomac Energy Center, the asset manager told Reuters on Thursday, in a deal symbolizing the allure to investors of power plants sited near data centers.

After The Oregonian/OregonLive wrote about the data center power issue in 2022, Amazon led the charge to defeat a bill that would have held server farms to the same clean energy standard that other industries face.

Officials say the amount of energy Georgia's booming data center industry needs is "staggering" and are hoping a new rule will help keep the cost away from normal ratepayers.