More than two-thirds of the electricity sought for the US artificial intelligence boom is unlikely to materialize due to a proliferation of “phantom” projects and long-shot pitches. •Wood Mackenzie expects utilities and grid operators to commit to just 28% of the 1,066 gigawatts requested for data centers — capacity equivalent to more than 1,000 traditional nuclear reactors. •The inflated forecasts complicate grid planning and risk raising utility bills as infrastructure costs are passed on to customers. •Developers are taking a shotgun approach to pitching projects as they seek ways get ahead in the AI build-out. But that raises the risk of overwhelming US grids and creating even more bottlenecks.