Overview

• Monitoring Analytics reports data center load added $7.3 billion, or 82%, to the latest PJM capacity auction, lifting it to $16.1 billion, and accounted for $16.6 billion across the last two auctions, about half of their $30.8 billion total.
• The market monitor says recent conditions are driven by data centers rather than organic growth, warns of unprecedented forecast uncertainty, and recommends requiring new facilities to provide their own generation.
• PJM’s fast‑track proposal includes stronger data‑center load forecasting, state review of large‑load adjustments, checks for duplicative proposals, and financial‑security postings, with a member vote planned for Nov. 19 and a FERC filing targeted by year‑end.
• The most recent auction cleared about $3.2 billion lower due to a cost cap tied to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and the monitor notes larger impacts are likely once those caps expire in the 2028/2029 auction.
• Separate analyses highlight consumer costs, including about $4.4 billion in 2024 transmission projects linked to data centers being allocated to ratepayers, and an NRDC projection of roughly $163 billion in capacity charges from 2027–2032 with around $70 a month added by 2028 if data‑center growth continues.