Off-Grid Power Acceleration & Energy Cost Pressures

BloombergNEF revises US AI DC capacity forecast up 52% to 118GW by 2030. PPL/Blackstone $15B off-grid gas buildout. PJM proposes cutting power for data centers without own supply. Behind-meter generation becomes default as grid queues stretch 7-10 years. Power access premiums quantifiable in site selection. New: Power-first playbook shows grid upgrade costs can be 10x budget; flexible load strategy (Google/TVA) offers faster interconnection. New: Energy bottleneck article expands scope with quotes from Hut8, Critical Loop, Runware on behind-the-meter and modular solutions, challenging assumption that cloud outsourcing avoids energy problems.