Federal energy department opens comment on securing the grid and names AI as why demand grew, closing October 9th
The Department of Energy published a request for information on September 9th, 2026. It implements an August 26th executive order on securing the United States bulk power system. The notice asks about covered equipment and transactions and about foreign produced bulk power system electric equipment. It also asks about remote access practices and federal procurement. The notice names advanced manufacturing and data centers and artificial intelligence and defense production as what increased the nation's dependence on reliable electricity. Written responses are accepted through October 9th, 2026 and a public webinar is set for September 16th.
How to take part
Written responses go to the Department of Energy by the method given in the Federal Register notice, through October 9th, 2026. The department is also holding a public webinar on September 16th, 2026.
Where
Statewide. This decision applies across Texas rather than to a named county.
Timeline
- comment opens
Request for information published
- hearing
Public meeting by webinar, which falls before the comment deadline
- Today
- comment closes
Written responses due
12 days out
How this decision moved
One dated line per check, oldest first. A line that says nothing changed means somebody looked and it had not.
- 2026-09-11
Admitted to the record. The window is open and dated, so a Texan who wants a say on how grid equipment and remote access get restricted has until October 9th to file. The notice itself never names Texas.
- 2026-09-11
The public webinar on September 16th is on the record's calendar now. It falls before the October 9th deadline and is the first thing a reader can attend. The calendar and the feeds read key dates rather than the access note.
- 2026-09-12
The comment window is still open, closing October 9th.
- 2026-09-13
The comment window is still open, closing October 9th.
- 2026-09-14
The request for information is still taking written responses through October 9th. The reason the notice gives for the demand it is securing against still names data centers and artificial intelligence.
- 2026-09-15
The request for information is still open for written responses through October 9th. The notice still names data centers and artificial intelligence among what it says increased the nation's dependence on this equipment.
- 2026-09-16
The energy department's grid security comment window is still open and still closes October 9th. The department still gives artificial intelligence as why demand grew.
- 2026-09-19
The window is still open and the department's own dates line still gives October 9th. A Texan who wants the grid rules to hear from them can still write.
- 2026-09-23
The federal comment window on securing the grid still closes October 9th, and the department still names growth in data centers and artificial intelligence as why demand rose.
- 2026-09-26
The energy department is still taking written responses on securing the grid through October 9th. The notice still names data centers and artificial intelligence among what raised the nation's need for reliable power.
The evidence
Every fact above rests on one of these. The words are the source's own.
Written responses, data, and information are requested and will be accepted on or before October 9, 2026. If you anticipate difficulty in submitting responses within that period, contact the person listed in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT as soon as possible. DOE will hold a public meeting via webinar on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, from 3 to 4 p.m. EDT.Federal Register as published on govinfo, Department of Energy request for information, docket DOE-HQ-2026-1123 Primary source, official · govinfo.gov
the rapid growth of advanced manufacturing, data centers, artificial intelligence, and defense production has increased the Nation's dependence on abundant, reliable electricityFederal Register as published on govinfo, Department of Energy request for information, docket DOE-HQ-2026-1123 Primary source, official · govinfo.gov
Questions about this decision
Answered from the record itself. Every answer is assembled from stored fields, so an answer the record has no basis for is left out rather than guessed.
What is this decision?
The Department of Energy published a request for information on September 9th, 2026. It implements an August 26th executive order on securing the United States bulk power system. The notice asks about covered equipment and transactions and about foreign produced bulk power system electric equipment. It also asks about remote access practices and federal procurement. The notice names advanced manufacturing and data centers and artificial intelligence and defense production as what increased the nation's dependence on reliable electricity. Written responses are accepted through October 9th, 2026 and a public webinar is set for September 16th.
Who decides it?
United States Department of Energy decides. The record names the deciding body for every entry it carries.
Can the public comment on it?
Written responses go to the Department of Energy by the method given in the Federal Register notice, through October 9th, 2026. The department is also holding a public webinar on September 16th, 2026.
Where in Texas does it apply?
It applies statewide.
Has it been decided?
Its status on the record is open.
What happens next?
The next dated step is comment closes, on October 9th, in twelve days.
When did it start?
The earliest date on its record is September 9th, 2026.
What kind of decision is it?
It is filed under defense and federal.
What sources back it?
One source backs it. It is primary.
Is it on the ERCOT grid?
No. It sits outside the ERCOT interconnection.
When was it last checked?
Every fact on it was last verified against its source on September 26th, 2026.
Cite this
Texas AI Docket, Federal energy department opens comment on securing the grid and names AI as why demand grew, closing October 9th. Tracked since September 9th, 2026. Last verified September 26th, 2026. https://texasaidocket.com/item/tx-2026-0144/. Reuse permitted under CC BY 4.0 with attribution. The same entry is in the docket JSON as item tx-2026-0144.
Beat
Filed under Defense and federal, with every other decision on that beat.