Maryland delegation: Residents shouldn’t shoulder rising energy costs for out-of-state data centers
Maryland's Congressional Delegation has urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to take action to prevent Maryland residents from bearing high electricity costs due to out-of-state data centers. They contend that PJM Interconnection's cost allocation rules unfairly assign billions in infrastructure costs to Maryland ratepayers. This effort supports a complaint filed by the Maryland Office of People's Counsel at FERC.
The Maryland Congressional Delegation, including U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks and U.S. Representatives Steny Hoyer, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin, Glenn Ivey, Sarah Elfreth, and Johnny Olszewski, has called on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to address the rising electricity costs for Maryland residents. The lawmakers argue that Marylanders are unfairly burdened by increased energy demands from data centers located outside the state.
The delegation's letter to FERC specifically targets PJM Interconnection, the regional grid operator, whose current transmission cost allocation rules have assigned approximately $2 billion in infrastructure costs to Maryland ratepayers. This infrastructure is primarily needed to serve out-of-state data centers, which are driving one of the largest transmission expansions in PJM's history, totaling $22 billion in projects. The lawmakers' initiative supports a complaint previously filed by the Maryland Office of People’s Counsel at FERC, which challenges PJM’s existing rules.
The delegation emphasized that Marylanders are already facing high electricity bills and should not be forced to subsidize the energy needs of