Grid interconnection has historically occupied a narrow corner of data center development planning. Facilities engineers and energy consultants managed it as a permitting function. It produced a utility contract and a connection date. Operators selected sites based on land availability, fiber proximity, labor markets, and tax incentives. They then worked backward to secure the power those sites required. The assumption was that power would be available if the project was credible. That assumption shaped how the entire industry thought about infrastructure strategy for two decades. It shaped organizational structures, planning tools, and capital allocation frameworks. The assumption is now wrong. The industry is in the early stages of recognizing what that means for competitive positioning.