Pennsylvania lawmakers and utility regulators review state power grid capacity constraints amid rapid AI data center expansion.

Members of the Pennsylvania House Energy Committee convened for an informational hearing to assess the state's electrical grid capacity and its ability to meet surging power demands from expanding data centers.

The hearing centered on a recent grid reliability report from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission evaluating resource adequacy across Pennsylvania and the 13-state PJM Interconnection regional grid. Committee Majority Chair Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler (D-Philadelphia) characterized the PUC assessment as a stark warning, describing the report as outlining a "bleak picture" of shrinking supply reserves paired with rapid load expansion. Energy leaders warned that inadequate planning for large-scale energy demand could trigger significant consumer price increases, grid instability, and potential power shortages.

In response to mounting capacity pressures, the House Energy Committee advanced a bipartisan suite of legislative proposals regulating the commercial data center footprint:

**House Bill 2828** requires data center developers to cover 100 percent of grid interconnection costs, shielding residential ratepayers from infrastructure upgrade fees.

**House Bill 2775** mandates that developers submit verified utility interconnection filings alongside local zoning applications to eliminate speculative projects.

**House Bill 2755** proposes ending a long-standing profit bonus for utility participation in regional transmission organizations to lower consumer utility bills.