A routine regulatory proceeding can thus become a quiet referendum on AI, data centers, and the future of the power grid. The result has been a chilling effect on data center investment and a regulatory framework tilted toward protecting existing ratepayers. Data center construction occurs on roughly an 18-month horizon; power plants, transmission lines, and substations take years to plan, permit, and construct. The scale, location, and persistence of AI-driven data center demand fall squarely into this category. Scarcity has not disappeared; it now manifests differently due to the distinctive features of data center demand.