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The governor of Massachusetts issued an executive order requiring data centers with peak demand exceeding 25 megawatts to provide clean electricity covering their entire consumption, or fund new generation or pay into a fund to protect electricity consumers. The decision comes amid growing pressure from U.S. states over data center expansion and its costs for grids and communities.
An analysis based on ERCOT data and Heatmap News coverage indicates that the growth of solar power and battery storage helped Texas get through the hot summer of 2026 without issuing calls for conservation. The article also highlights the expansion of virtual power plant models and Octopus Energy’s investment in Uplight to support distributed energy resource management.