AI Data Centers Raise Winter Blackout Risks: What NERC’s 2025–26 Warning Means for Texas, Michigan and the Rest of the US
Published November 25, 2025 As the first major cold fronts line up over North America, federal grid regulators are sounding the alarm: the explosive growth of AI data centers is helping push winter electricity demand to record highs — and in some regions, the power system may not be ready if a deep freeze hits. Utility Dive+1 A new 2025–2026 Winter Reliability Assessment from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) finds that winter peak demand on the bulk power system will be about 20 gigawatts higher than last year, while new resources to meet that demand have grown by