AI Data Centers and the Power Grid

The Trump White House, joined by a bipartisan group of PJM‑state governors and the National Energy Dominance Council, has urged PJM to run an emergency auction for 15‑year contracts in which tech companies would finance more than $15 billion of new, round‑the‑clock generation—largely natural‑gas plants—to meet rising electricity demand from data centers and ease price spikes concentrated in the Mid‑Atlantic. Supporters say the plan could reduce blackout risks, PJM’s board has vowed immediate steps and will separately assess integration of large loads, while critics contend the proposal skips fixes to the interconnection backlog and leans on fossil fuels instead of wind, solar and batteries.