Oct 21 (Reuters) - With electricity demand in the United States set to hit record highs in 2025 and 2026, utilities are doubling down on assets that can boost their power generation capacity while shedding others to fund their massive spending plans.

The dealmaking spree comes as the industry prepares for rapid growth in electricity consumption nationwide, partly driven by power-hungry data centers needed to support the boom in artificial intelligence usage.

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Power demand from data centers in the U.S. is expected to nearly triple in the next three years and consume as much as 12% of the country's electricity, according to a Department of Energy-backed study.

Here are some of the biggest mergers, acquisitions and divestitures announced in 2025:

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-utilities-dealmaking-spree-blockbuster-2025-2025-05-19/