At 7:55 a.m., three gigawatts of data center load abruptly unplugged from America's largest power grid — and the voltage shock was felt from Washington, D.C. to Chicago. And that's only where this briefing begins.
⚡ **POWER** — A transmission line outage in northern Virginia triggered dozens of data centers to flip to backup power at once, dropping 3+ GW of demand — about 3% of PJM's load across a grid serving 67 million people. Residents reported flickering lights and buzzing appliances; Dominion Energy stabilized the system within minutes. (Source: US News / Reuters)
🗳️ **COMMUNITY** — Augusta Township, Michigan voters decide Aug. 4 whether to overturn the rezoning of 522 acres for Thor Equities' $1 billion data center. The board approved it unanimously against its own planning commission's advice; residents' group PACT forced the referendum and a recall drive now targets the entire board. (Source: WEMU / Planet Detroit)
⚖️ **LEGAL** — Simpson Circuit Judge Mark Thurmond heard arguments on whether Franklin Citizens for Responsible Development can even challenge TenKey's 147-acre Franklin, Kentucky data center. TenKey cites a 2025 law limiting appeals to same-zoning-district property owners; FCRD calls the law unconstitutional. (Source: Bowling Green Daily News / WNKY)
💧 **WATER** — The Western Virginia Water Authority publicly rebutted claims it authorized 11 million gallons/day for Google's Botetourt County data center, calling it misinformation. The binding agreement caps initial supply at 2M gallons/day; a 10–11M gpd proposal was rejected in 2024. (Source: WSLS / WDBJ7 / Fincastle Herald)
🏛️ **POLICY** — H.R. 9340, from Reps. Gabe Evans (R-CO) and Kathy Castor (D-FL), cleared the House Energy & Commerce Committee 52-0. The bill shields ratepayers from grid costs driven by data center growth and advanced with five other grid-modernization measures. (Source: Broadband Breakfast)
🏗️ **NEW BUILD** — Engineered Land Solutions refiled its rezoning application f
