Overview
- Pennsylvania’s Public Utility Commission advanced a nonbinding model tariff for large-load customers such as data centers that sets a 50 megawatt threshold, adds exit fees for canceled projects, and shifts more interconnection costs to developers.
- The guidance says developers may build needed upgrades themselves and calls for payments into universal service programs that help low-income customers, with utilities recovering new transmission and distribution costs tied to the data center.
- North Carolina lawmakers introduced the Ratepayer and Resource Protection Act to require cost-based rates, developer payment for grid upgrades, at least 25% on-site clean power, and tighter water-use rules for very large facilities.
- In Maine, lawmakers sustained Gov. Janet Mills’ veto of a moratorium, allowing the Jay data center to proceed as she forms an advisory council to limit bill increases and environmental impacts.
- Regulators and analysts link rapid data center growth to higher capacity costs and rising bills in the PJM region, and research highlights heavy water use and limited long-term jobs, driving states to adopt targeted tariffs, electric service agreements, and on-site resource requirements.