The Return of the Power Trust¶
WASHINGTON, DC—The AI boom has thrust the power sector, a critical but largely invisible industry, into the political spotlight. Around the world, governments aregrapplingwith data centers’enormous energy demand, with consumers and lawmakers alikeaskingwhether it can—or should—be met without driving up electricity bills. In the United States, however, a quieter trend threatens to push power rates even higher and weaken corporate accountability: utilities are consolidating at a rapid pace and piquing the interest of Wall Street investors.