East coast could soon get rolling blackouts during summer because data centers have pushed electric grid to the limit
Fresh warning over rolling blackouts that could affect 67m people in US
- A new warning has been issued over potential rolling blackouts that could soon hit the East Coast of the United States.
- PJM, the grid operator for nearly 70 million people across 13 states, may be forced to implement power outages during peak demand periods, such as summer heat waves or winter freezes, as AI data centers push the grid to the limit, according to a new report.
- Power demand is projected to increase significantly, with PJM forecasting a 4.8% annual rise for the next decade and ICF predicting a 25% surge by 2030, largely driven by data centers.
- Proposals to manage demand, including PJM's plan to cut power to data centers during strain, have met opposition from tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google.
- Concerns are mounting, with calls for federal intervention to prevent PJM from servicing new data centers without adequate capacity, especially given previous power plant closures.