After more than two decades of relative stasis, electricity demand in the U.S. is expected to increase by 25% by 2030 and by more than 75% by 2050, compared to 2023—a transformation largely driven by the surge in new data centers needed to power the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. For utilities, the rapid growth presents unprecedented challenges, from staffing shortfalls and regulatory hurdles to grid limitations and technical problems. But it can also offer a major opportunity to expand infrastructure, ...