FERC approved PJM's request to create a data center database and rejected a separate request to curtail power to data centers during periods of grid stress.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved PJM Interconnection's request to develop a data center database across its footprint.
The new database is expected to improve how PJM plans for data centers. It will give the Regional Transmission Operator (RTO) more detail on each site, including location, power providers, in-service dates, and load ramp-up timelines, as well as backup generation and fuel supply.
Although FERC approved the database, it rejected several other provisions PJM requested to manage data center load, including a proposal to temporarily shut off grid power to the facilities to avoid blackouts during peak demand.
In a filing, the regulatory body said PJM could submit a revised curtailment plan, but it would need to address several issues to gain approval, including why data centers would be shut off instead of other large industrial users. FERC said it rejected the plan because it exceeded the RTO's authority.
PJM, the largest RTO in the US, has been grappling with massive data center demand across its footprint, which includes data center hotspots such as Virginia and Ohio. This has led to price increases and has affected grid reliability, including a large-scale voltage disturbance in July that took more than 3GW of power offline.
PJM expects data center demand across its footprint to keep rising in the coming years. The RTO projects that electricity requirements from the sector will triple by 2030, reaching 29GW across its Midwest and Mid-Atlantic territory.
To meet this demand, the RTO has set out a range of proposals. For example, in August, the grid operator proposed that all new data center customers with a capacity of 50MW or more must pay for the new generation needed to support their facilities. Several states and utilities have already imposed similar rules to prevent cost shifting onto regular ratepayers.