All articles tagged with #pjm interconnection
Rising electricity demand from AI data centers in the PJM region is driving up power costs for Rust Belt manufacturers, squeezing steel and brick producers and complicating Trump’s Made in America plan as capacity prices soar and supply is forecast to lag.
Extreme heat pushes electric demand on the mid-Atlantic grid, forcing Virginia’s data-center boom to rely on backup diesel generators and prompting emissions and health concerns as regulators weigh using standby power to prevent outages.
A major US heatwave is expected to push electricity use to near-record levels this week, straining grids operated by PJM Interconnection, NYISO, and MISO. Officials warn that demand is rising faster than new supply, a gap amplified by hyperscale AI data centers—concentrated in northern Virginia—that increase energy use and contribute to a data heat island effect. Health advisories accompany the forecast, with peak demand around 166.3 gigawatts projected for Thursday evening as temperatures climb above 38 C across much of the eastern half of the country.
FERC Chair Laura Swett warned at PJM’s annual meeting that the PJM Interconnection may be ‘too big to function’ due to an unacceptable governance structure and a sprawling footprint amid rising capacity needs driven by data centers, prompting a plan for a July conference to address governance fixes while PJM continues to add generation to meet demand.
Maryland’s Office of People’s Counsel has filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission challenging PJM Interconnection’s plan to charge the state about $2 billion for grid upgrades largely benefiting data centers, warning Maryland ratepayers could pay about $1.6 billion over the next decade (roughly $823M residential, $146M commercial, and $629M industrial). It argues the cost allocation is unfair and should be borne by the benefiting data centers or their operators under the ratepayer protection pledge.
PJM Interconnection issued extra alerts to transmission and generation firms as winter electricity demand is forecast to exceed 147 GW, an all-time high for the season, signaling potential grid stress across its 13-state service area.
The White House proposed a plan requiring major tech companies to finance new power generation in PJM’s footprint, potentially shifting the cost burden to data centers and affecting profits for existing generators and gear makers involved in energy infrastructure.
The Trump administration and a bipartisan group of governors pressed PJM to reform the Mid-Atlantic/Midwest grid to power a wave of AI data centers, urging technology companies to finance new power plants for the region; the agreement covers about $15 billion in generation projects, calls for an emergency capacity auction to keep prices affordable, and directs PJM to act quickly to strengthen reliability while protecting residential customers.
The Trump administration and a bipartisan group of governors asked PJM to hold a one-time emergency auction to supply data centers with power from new plants, enabling 15-year power purchase agreements funded by the data centers themselves and potentially supporting about $15 billion in new generation; data centers would pay for generation even if unused. The move would require Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approval and is viewed by analysts as policy signaling rather than an imminent market reform, with a six-to-12 month timeline and potential implications for prices and utility stocks.
The White House urged PJM Interconnection to hold an emergency power auction to prevent outages as data-center-driven demand grows faster than new generation, proposing a BYOG model where centers fund and own new capacity. PJM unveiled a competing plan requiring data centers to bring online new generation or face potential curtailment during peak periods, amid rising electricity prices and political backlash over grid reliability.
Trump’s plan to lower electricity prices through government action spooked investors, sending energy stocks lower as fears grow that existing contracts could be disrupted and supply could rise; Constellation Energy and Vistra led declines, while some names like GE Vernova benefited and others faced mixed moves as analysts weighed which firms might win or lose from the policy shift.
Trump intervenes in the 13-state PJM market, urging an emergency 15-year power auction and price caps to curb rising Northeast electricity costs tied to AI data centers, while governors press for faster new generation and an all‑of‑the‑above energy approach to sustain growth.
PJM Interconnection trimmed its 2027 summer peak-demand forecast to about 160 GW from roughly 164 GW, citing that some planned data-center projects lack firm electric-service commitments. Despite still-strong long-run growth (about 17% by 2030 driven by data centers) and a 2028 peak seen above the 2006 record of about 165 GW, the revision injects skepticism into AI-driven consumption projections and could influence capacity auctions and consumer electricity costs. Shares of major power producers fell on the news.
Residents in mid-Atlantic states face rising electricity bills driven by increased demand from data centers and a supply shortage, with prices expected to remain high for years due to infrastructure challenges and market dynamics, prompting calls for reform and investment.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro threatened to leave the PJM power grid if it doesn't reform to address surging energy costs, citing the need for increased transparency, state involvement, and faster energy production, amid rising demand from data centers and infrastructure challenges.