Federal regulators will allow tech companies to effectively plug massive data centers directly into power plants, issuing a long-awaited order Thursday, as the Trump administration urges it to help the U.S. lead the world in artificial intelligence and revive domestic manufacturing. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's unanimous order is designed to clear up pressing issues around so-called “colocation” agreements in the nation's largest grid territory, which stretches across mid-Atlantic states to parts of Illinois and Indiana. It also comes amid concerns that the mid-Atlantic territory covering some 65 million people will face electricity shortages in the coming years, as the build out of data centers outpaces the speed of new power sources coming online.

Federal regulators will allow tech companies to effectively plug massive data centers directly into power plants.