Legislators warn of data center impact in Maryland
News Clip2:26WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore·MD·11/21/2025
A group of bipartisan legislators in Maryland are warning that data centers could lead to increased electricity bills and potential rolling blackouts. They are pushing for more regulation and calling on the regional power grid operator PJM to adopt measures to protect ratepayers from the massive electricity demand of data centers.
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A bipartisan group of legislators is warning that electric bills could increase by $70 per month and there could be rolling blackouts due to data centers. Now, the legislators, along with consumer advocates, are pushing for more regulation. They're calling on PJM, the region's power grid operator, to adopt ratepayer protections against massive data center electricity demand. The grid operators have a dozen options they could consider — from data centers bringing their own power source to the grid, to shutting off data center operations when electricity use surges. At the very least, those seeking consumer protections hope PJM takes a Frankenstein approach by adopting bits and pieces of the proposals.
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