Pa. PUC proposes curtailing some data centers first when power is tight
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission voted unanimously to seek public comment on procedures that would curtail certain new large electricity users, including data centers, before other customers during grid emergencies. The proposal would also prevent utilities from classifying these large loads as exempt critical customers and is intended to address reliability risks from rapid demand growth.
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission voted 4-0 on Oct. 1 to advance a Tentative Order seeking comments on new emergency load-control procedures. Under the proposal, data centers and other large new electricity users that lack sufficient secured capacity would be curtailed before other customers when supplies are tight, and utilities would not be allowed to designate them as critical loads exempt from reductions.
The action follows a PUC-commissioned analysis warning that data center-driven demand growth could create significant reliability risks across the PJM grid between 2027 and 2030. The commission will accept public comments after the order is published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and expects to consider a final order in January 2027, alongside broader efforts to ensure large-load customers pay the costs they impose on the electric system.