PJM proposes emergency data-center shutdowns to protect residential power supply

PJM Interconnection, which oversees power delivery for about 67 million people across a 13-state corridor from Washington, D.C., to Chicago, has put forward an emergency framework that would compel data centers to run on backup generators or have their load shed when regional reserves become dangerously low. The plan is presented as a way to honor President Donald Trump's Ratepayer Protection Pledge, a non-binding promise to protect residential consumers from higher bills driven by data-center growth.

Under the scheme, utilities would be instructed to curtail or transfer demand from data centers and other heavy users before cutting power to homes. PJM acknowledges it cannot unilaterally order such reductions and must rely on state regulator cooperation. The proposal comes amid a recent capacity auction that revealed a shortfall of roughly 6.8 gigawatts against reliability targets, despite price caps intended to spur new generation. To improve oversight, PJM seeks to establish a registry of large electricity users, as the rapid expansion of data facilities—especially in Northern Virginia—has sparked local concerns over noise, disruption, and the strain on the aging grid.