Laura V. Swett

Rule Changes

Leading FERC's action on the large-load rule

For decades, the cost of upgrading the power grid was spread across everyone's electric bill. On June 18, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) acted on a rule that could put much of that cost on the data centers that trigger it.

Updated Jun 18

Rule Changes

Leading FERC as it tries to regulate the data-center load shock without breaking reliability

Data centers found a shortcut: park next to a generator and drink power without waiting years for grid upgrades. On Dec. 18, FERC doubled down—unanimously—ordering PJM to rewrite its tariff so co-located mega-load can't stay "invisible" to planning, service definitions, and cost responsibility.

Updated May 15