Energy Department

Feds Allow Big Tech to Plug Data Centers Right Into Power Plants

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Thursday order could be a blueprint for Trump administration requests to ensure that data centers get power as quickly as possible.

Associated Press

Dec 18, 2025 — 3 min read

Photo of Laura Swett, chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, at her confirmation hearing in October 2025

HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 18, 2025 (AP) — Federal regulators will allow tech companies to effectively plug massive data centers directly into power plants, issuing a long-awaited order Thursday, as the Trump administration urges it to help the U.S. lead the world in artificial intelligence and revive domestic manufacturing.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's unanimous order is designed to clear up pressing issues around so-called “colocation” agreements in the nation's largest grid territory, which stretches across mid-Atlantic states to parts of Illinois and Indiana.

But it could become a blueprint for how FERC handles an October request from Trump’s energy secretary, Chris Wright, to ensure that data centers and large manufacturers get the power they need as quickly as possible.

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