Maryland Challenges $2B PJM Grid Charge for AI Centers
Get the Tech newsletter
Daily tech — startups, AI labs, chips, the launches that shape the next decade. Free.
- Maryland Office of People’s Counsel (OPC) filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) over PJM Interconnection’s plan to allocate $2 billion of its $22 billion grid‑upgrade costs to Maryland.
- PJM Interconnection is the nation’s largest transmission operator, serving 13 states and D.C. and about 65 million people (≈20 % of the U.S. population).
- Maryland consumers would bear an extra $1.6 billion over ten years, including $823 million for residential customers (≈$345 per household), $146 million for commercial users (≈$673 per business), and $629 million for industrial users (≈$15,074 per plant).
- Maryland argues that the cost‑allocation rules are broken, claiming the state did not generate the data‑center demand and should not subsidize upgrades that primarily benefit out‑of‑state AI facilities; it urges that expenses be charged directly to the projects or the tech firms per the “ratepayer protection pledge” promised by President Trump.
Why it matters: Maryland ratepayers lose $1.6 billion in added fees while tech firms and out‑of‑state data centers avoid paying for the grid upgrades, potentially shifting the financial burden to consumers and prompting stricter regulatory scrutiny.
Ask SkimNews
