Building a power plant in the US used to be a years-long slog through public hearings, environmental reviews, and regulatory checkboxes. Now, if it’s powering an AI data center, some states will wave you through in 45 days.
Ohio recently passed legislation allowing select energy projects tied to AI infrastructure to gain approval in as little as 45 days, frequently bypassing public hearings and traditional environmental reviews entirely. It’s not alone. Texas and Pennsylvania have made similar moves, creating a fast lane for power generation that would have been unthinkable a few years ago.
The “bring your own power” playbook
The strategy driving this trend has earned its own nickname: “Bring Your Own Power.” The concept is straightforward. Instead of waiting in the notoriously congested grid interconnection queue, which can stretch for years, AI companies are building dedicated off-grid natural gas plants to power their data centers directly.
Reuters has identified dozens of large off-grid power plants that are advancing within weeks or months rather than the multi-year timelines that have historically defined energy project development in the US.
