U.S. utilities have committed to 160 GW of large loads, according to recent analysis from Wood Mackenzie. That’s about 22% of 2024’s peak load.
PJM in particular is in a predicament. The region has planned 55 GW of new large loads by 2030 and 100 GW by 2037, largely from data centers. But they simply don’t have the supplies to keep up with demand. These commitments from PJM utilities represent DOUBLE the capacity of new generation in the queue.
The severity of this situation cannot be stressed enough. The gap between supply and demand will lead to energy shortages and higher electricity rates for PJM states. The region needs to see immediate steps taken in order to keep the lights on.
While data center expansion is expected to taper off in 2030 (with growth dropping from 23% CAGR to -22% CAGR, according to the report), that doesn’t change the fact that we need more gigawatts today.
