The Net Zero Agenda of states like Michigan are driving up utility prices, as noted in the article here:
“In an interview with SAN, Loyola said, “Our electricity supply should be elastic enough to accommodate all the new demand that’s coming from the data center boom.” Instead, he says that the electric supply hasn’t kept up with projected demand due to “regulations that have constrained grid capacity.”
Loyola pointed to state-level renewable energy mandates, tax credits, and environmental regulations that incentivized utilities to build more wind and solar while shutting down or regulating coal-fired power plants. As more solar is added, Loyola said it needs a backup supply that can quickly provide power to the grid when the sun isn’t shining. That dispatchable electricity comes from gas power plants.
Because utilities have to back up renewables with power from natural gas, Loyola said consumers end up “paying for all this redundant power,” adding that “there should be hundreds of power plants under construction in the United States right now.”