PJM Considering Changes to Interconnection Reliability Requirements for Data Centers Following Mass Outage

PJM considering changes to interconnection reliability requirements for data centers following mass outage

The outage, which originated in Northern Virginia, brought approximately 4GW of data center load offline

The "Ratepayer Protection" Act Won’t Protect Us from Data Centers

The title of the Ratepayer Protection Act (H.R.9340) suggests it protects ratepayers from data center expansion; however, a more fitting title would be the Ratepayer Deception Act, since this legislation only speaks to a narrow category of utility costs. It leaves many costs from data centers unaddressed, including threats to water supplies, increased pollution, strain on local infrastructure, and land use. Data centers are raising costs and pol…

The data center fight in Kentucky is about democracy

This map shows proposed hyperscale data centers across Kentucky. (Screenshot)In a state short of jobs, outsiders promising big investments typically receive a red-carpet welcome from Kentucky public officials. That was no doubt the expectation when Big Tech companies began scouting data center locations in the commonwealth. But when the trickle of interest became a flood, and when the proposals swelled from small data centers to massive hypersca…

PJM’s big new data center plan: Make the states figure it out

An aerial view shows an Amazon data center in Ashburn, Virginia. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)This story was originally published by Canary Media. PJM Interconnection, the biggest grid operator in the U.S., has finally settled on a plan to prevent data centers from causing other customers’ utility bills to soar further in its 13-state territory that includes Ohio. That plan relies heavily on states themselves, and the utilities they re…

Kentucky to make data centers prove they won't raise power bills or damage wetlands

Kentucky is tightening its rules for data center growth, with Gov. Andy Beshear issuing an executive order aiming to protect citizens and the environment from the side effects of these massive facilities.  Before a project can advance under the new executive order, developers must show it will not increase household electricity costs or harm wetlands and other natural resources in the state. What's happening? Local governments will continue to d…

Forward Kentucky: Andy Beshear defends Kentucky data center order

Forward Kentucky: Andy Beshear defends Kentucky data center order. “Gov. Andy Beshear is defending an executive order aimed at regulating data center development in Kentucky, saying it is designed to protect ratepayers and the environment while allowing projects to move forward where communities support them.”