A new federal filing is putting Audubon’s PJM Interconnection under the spotlight, writes Ethan Howland for Utility Dive.
PJM’s independent market monitor, Monitoring Analytics, has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to rule that large new data centers should only be added to the grid when PJM can reliably power them without risking blackouts for surrounding communities.
The complaint follows months of debate over how PJM should handle enormous data center loads that continue to surge across the Mid-Atlantic. The market monitor argues that PJM already has the authority to require these projects to wait in a queue until generation and transmission upgrades catch up. But during stakeholder meetings this fall, PJM staff and several participants hesitated to confirm that authority outright.
The monitor says the stakes are rising quickly. Data center growth has significantly increased grid costs, contributing more than $16.6 billion in PJM capacity revenues over the last two auctions. This number will keep climbing until clearer policies are in place.
PJM is reviewing the complaint and plans to file its own large-load interconnection proposal with FERC. For Montgomery County, home to PJM’s control center, the decision could determine the viability of any potential data centers.
To learn more about the filing regarding data centers, visit Utility Dive.
