An apparatus provisions power from a power budget to remote devices configured to obtain phantom power. The apparatus includes, among other things, a controller which is configured to identify a power demand for a remote device (e.g., a power demand based on an actual cable loss), and generate a comparison between the power demand for the remote device and the power budget of the apparatus. The controller is further configured to allocate power from the power budget provided by the power supply to the remote device when the comparison indicates that the power budget supports the power demand for the remote device, and reject allocation of power from the power budget to the remote device when the comparison indicates that the power budget does not support the power demand for the remote device.