Investor-owned utilities are striving to connect around 39 gigawatts of announced data centers and other significant power demands across the U.S., as indicated by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) in a recent statement to federal regulators.
Drew Maloney, the president and CEO of EEI, emphasized the necessity of creating federal policies that enhance, rather than hinder, ongoing progress in state processes and stakeholder initiatives. He stated, “We are dedicated to facilitating the quick interconnection of large power loads while safeguarding the interests of all customers and the grid.”
According to EEI, utilities such as Duke Energy, Entergy, Northern Indiana Public Service, and Xcel Energy are actively involved with substantial data center projects within their service areas. The organization pointed out more than 80 large load projects currently in the works.
Maloney noted that 20 states have approved at least one large load tariff, with nine more states still considering similar tariffs. He explained that “large load tariffs, regulations, and contractual terms are essential tools that electric companies and states can use to minimize risks and protect customers.”
This statement was made in response to a review by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) concerning a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposal aimed at establishing guidelines for connecting large data centers to the transmission system. The DOE has requested FERC to make a final ruling by April 30.