FERC orders NERC to set reliability standards for AI data centers amid wildfire risks

FERC has directed NERC to draft mandatory reliability standards for AI data centers by Dec. 31, responding to the strain of gigawatt-scale computing on the grid. This comes as Gartner projects power shortages will constrain 40% of existing AI operations, and wildfires add further stress. The move signals a regulatory shift to treat data centers as a distinct grid customer class, with implications for grid stability and energy policy.