Electricians Love Data Centers. You Should, Too.

Don Slaiman makes a strong case in today’s New York Times: data centers can mean long-term jobs, apprenticeships, tax revenue and economic opportunity.

But there’s another piece of the puzzle: power.

If the existing grid can’t serve new data centers quickly, states should allow another path — Consumer Regulated Electricity.

Under CRE, private developers could build separate, off-grid power systems for willing customers and communities. Private capital takes the risk. Existing ratepayers don’t fund the infrastructure. Communities that want the growth have another way to get it.

The data center debate shouldn’t be “yes or no.”

It should be: how many voluntary ways can we create for communities to say yes?

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/21/opinion/data-centers-electricians-union-labor.html