Can the grid keep up?

More data centers are bringing new challenges for utilities across rural America. Jim Matheson, the CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, which represents more than 900 not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric co-ops says these co-ops are seeing unprecedented demand from large-scale data center projects, and they’re weighing how to meet that demand while protecting existing customers.

Matheson says utilities have been preparing for higher electricity demand coming from manufacturing growth and electric vehicles, for example. But he argues that the ability to build new infrastructure is being slowed by permitting challenges.

As electricity demand continues to rise, Matheson says utilities will need both new and existing resources to maintain reliability.

Despite the growing debate around data centers, Matheson says the issue is not whether or not communities should support them.

That was Jim Matheson, the CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.