The Seventy Two Percent That Isn't There: Phantom Data Center Load and the AI Power Queue - August 20, 2026

The Seventy Two Percent That Isn't There: Phantom Data Center Load and the AI Power Queue American developers have requested 1,066 gigawatts of grid capacity for AI data centers. Wood Mackenzie expects only about 298 gigawatts of that to ever reach a real grid commitment, leaving 768 gigawatts of what the industry now calls phantom load. Chris and Laura unpack why speculative interconnection requests are distorting national energy forecasts, driving up capacity auction costs and residential ...