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Amazon Announces Plans to Invest $12 Billion in Data Center Campuses in Louisiana

LCG, February 23, 2026--Amazon today announced plans to invest $12 billion to develop and construct state-of-the-art data center campuses in northwest Louisiana that will support cloud computing technologies. Amazon is partnering with STACK Infrastructure, the developer and owner of the campuses, to lead the construction and development of the data center facilities. Amazon has already invested in solar energy projects in Louisiana, bringing up to 200 MW of new carbon-free energy onto the grid.

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EIA Estimates Record U.S. Electric Generating Capacity Additions in 2026, with Solar in the Lead

LCG, February 20, 2026--The EIA today issued an "in-brief analysis" that estimates U.S. power plant developers and operators plan to complete a record installation of 86 GW of new, utility-scale electric generating capacity that is connected to the U.S. power grid in 2026. Last year, 53 GW of new capacity was added to the grid, which was the largest capacity installation in a single year since 2002. Thus the estimate of 86 GW of new capacity in 2026 is a whopping 33 GW greater than the year prior. It should be noted that over 20 GW of the 86 GW of new capacity this year is estimated to be completed in December.

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Industry News

Decision Made on California Direct Access Customers Surcharge

LCG, Nov. 8, 2002--Large energy customers who were allowed to buy electricity from marketers and wholesale suppliers other than California's major investor-owned utilities will pay a surcharge to repay the state for its power purchases, with California Public Utilities Commissioners split on whether the amount is sufficient.

Yesterday, a 3-2 vote by California PUC regulators was made to impose a 2.7-cents per kilowatt-hour charge on usage by electricity purchasers who had signed their own supply contracts, starting Jan. 1. PUC President Loretta Lynch and Carl Wood, who advocated that the surcharge be higher, voted in the minority. Lynch thought other, generally small customers, who buy electricity from the investor-owned utilities, would be left paying a disproportionate share of the costs incurred by the state through its electricity purchases. She asserted that "This massive transfer of wealth is discriminatory and unreasonable."

Jeff Brown, who voted with the majority, said it is necessary to keep a central feature of earlier deregulation plans in place, by allowing direct access customers to continue their relationships with alternative suppliers. "If actual costs are imposed each year, direct access would become uneconomic and would cease to exist," he said. He also indicated that not allowing direct access would represent "a terrible signal to the business community," according to the Sacramento Bee. He believed, however, that the 2.7-cent surcharge is likely to rise next year.

Those who entered into direct access contracts include industrial and retail facilities, as well as hospitals and schools.
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