The Midwest power grid has a tough, expensive road ahead
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Illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios
Summer heat and rising electrical demand are putting power grids to the test.
The big picture: Successive heat domes in June and July stressed cooling systems and energy generators, threatening costly and dangerous outages.
- The Department of Energy issued an emergency order from July 26 through Aug. 3 to Southwest Power Pool, a regional organization that manages the electric grid across states in the Midwest and West, including Missouri and Kansas.
What's inside: SPP had reported the potential of "higher than normal loads and outages" and lower wind and solar power during the summer, per the order.
- The order gave SPP greater authority to identify and use backup generation resources to use as a last resort.
Context: Power outages cost Americans $44 billion per year, per the Energy Department.
Between the lines: Data centers contribute to demand increases that strain the grid.
- A 2025 executive order says there's an "unprecedented surge in electricity demand driven by rapid technological advancements, including the expansion of artificial intelligence data centers and an increase in domestic manufacturing."
- And the July DOE order says SPP asked for authority to unlock backup generation at data centers.
- SPP communications director Shawna Berger tells Axios data centers are just part of the equation, adding "economic development, electrification and changing customer needs."
What they're saying: "Demand in the region is expected to almost double over the next 10 years because of economic development, electrification and changing customer needs," Berger says.
- "There's no question additional infrastructure will be necessary."
By the numbers: The SPP board in November approved $8.6 billion in projects that will add and upgrade voltage transmission lines.
- SPP is now looking at more than 8,000 project proposals this year, up from 2,548 last year.
What we're watching: Next-gen nuclear power could help alleviate some strain — if it makes its way to Kansas.