The Department of Energy’s draft 2026 National Transmission Needs Study states the US energy transmission system has entered a new planning era, driven by the rapid rise of AI data centers. Historically, transmission projects were primarily driven by reliability concerns, aging infrastructure, and the need to connect new generation sources. Now, the DOE says rapid load growth has become the principal force behind new transmission investment, led by AI data centers, domestic manufacturing and other large industrial loads. The agency says utilities, financial analysts and industry researchers now identify AI data centers as the primary driver of electricity demand growth. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory projects that data center electricity demand growing at a 13% to 27% compound annual rate through 2028, when data centers could consume 6.7% to 12% of all US electricity.