AI’s Power Consumption Could Put the Grid — and Energy Regulators — to the Test

If the story of artificial intelligence is one of promise and challenge, the technology’s impact on the US electric power grid is fast becoming a pivotal chapter.

The promise is compelling. AI could revolutionize the electric industry, enhancing grid planning, permitting and siting, operations and reliability, and resilience, while helping accelerate progress toward climate goals.

Yet powering this revolution will be a massive challenge. AI data centers consume eight times the power of conventional data centers, and could account for a staggering 15 percent of US electric demand by 2030.

If forecasts hold, this growth will come alongside skyrocketing demand for new transmission facilities, as the electric grid faces growing demand and changing needs from robust US manufacturing, electric-vehicle charging, and the shifting generation mix, among other strains.

What will it take to accommodate AI’s enormous power demands, and what role will the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission play? What does the growth of AI mean for the future of fossil fuels?

Our Energy Regulatory attorneys share their outlook.

Game Changer? Texas Aims to Streamline Complex Commercial Disputes

Complex commercial disputes in Texas has been known to last for years and years — with no end in sight.

But on September 1, the Lone Star State will hope to begin speeding up proceedings, launching a special business court designed to resolve these disputes faster and more efficiently.

Texas is far from the first state to adopt a special business court for complex commercial litigation, but no two of these courts processes cases in exactly the same way. Texas commercial litigants would be wise to understand how this new one operates, how it’s structured, and the strategic issues at play.

What should Texas litigants expect? In Bloomberg Law, our litigators answer the key questions.

Enforcer Team Up: With Innovative Legal Tactics, the SEC and DOJ Project a Unified Front

US regulators have long focused on enforcing securities violations, but rarely has their work to do so been so expansive and collaborative.

Speaking to private white-collar attorneys and in-house counsel at a May conference, SEC and DOJ officials emphasized loud and clear: Their enforcement capabilities are growing broader and stronger, and interagency cooperation is helping them better identify unlawful conduct and hold wrongdoers to account.

Both agencies are embracing innovative legal tactics, expanding their use of non-securities statutes to pursue novel securities fraud theories. This approach will enable enforcers to bring enforcement actions that are more flexible and encompassing.

SEC enforcers also highlighted the growing role of data analytics in identifying suspicious trading patterns and streamlining investigations, leading to quicker and more decisive enforcement actions.

Our attorneys with more on this environment and the accompanying compliance considerations.

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