Southern Co raises spending plan by 7% as data center power demand swells

By Vallari Srivastava and Laila Kearney Feb 19 (Reuters) - Southern Co raised its five-year spending plan by roughly 7% on Thursday as the major electric and gas utility in the U.S. South sells more electricity ‌to data centers and industrial manufacturers. U.S. utilities have invested heavily to upgrade electric grids as they face ‌extreme weather and growing demand from power-hungry data centers dedicated to AI and cryptocurrency, alongside a shift by homes and businesses toward electric ​heating and t ...