Future data centers are driving up forecasts for energy demand. States want proof they'll get built

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The forecasts are eye-popping: utilities saying they'll need two or three times more electricity within a few years to power massive that are feeding a fast-growing AI economy.

But the challenges — some say the impossibility — of building new power plants to meet that demand so quickly has set off alarm bells for lawmakers, policymakers and regulators who wonder if those utility forecasts can be trusted.