Why American data centers can’t plug in

Works in Progress

Chris Gillett

Research

19 Pages

Works in Progress explains why America’s AI buildout is constrained less by electricity supply than by the grid’s ability to connect new data centers and power plants. Stargate alone is expected to draw 1.2 gigawatts, while ERCOT had 143.5 gigawatts of data centers seeking connection by October 2025, far above its 85.9-gigawatt peak demand.

Key Takeaways

Grid Queue Bottleneck: Median power plant interconnection wait times rose from under 20 months in 2005 to 55 months by 2023.
Texas Demand Surge: ERCOT had 143.5 gigawatts of data center connection requests, versus record peak demand of 85.9 gigawatts.
Flexibility Unlocks Capacity: One study found 76 gigawatts of new load could connect by disconnecting just 22 hours per year.
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