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Blackout Fears Arise As Trump’s Data Center Push Hits Already Strained Grid
A wave of new AI-powered data centers announced by the Trump administration has raised serious concerns about the electric grid’s ability to keep pace with demand. In Pittsburgh, more than $90B in AI data center investments were unveiled across Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic, putting added pressure on PJM Interconnection (the largest power grid in the U.S.), which is already struggling with reliability issues. Governors from nine states within PJM’s footprint recently criticized the organization, warning of eroding confidence in its ability to manage skyrocketing load growth while transitioning to cleaner energy sources.
The grid operator has sounded the alarm about this demand surge, noting that current resource planning and interconnection processes are outdated and ill-equipped to manage modern generation technologies like solar, wind, and battery storage. PJM’s queue of more than 2,000 new generation projects highlights the bottleneck: while the volume of proposals looks promising, many projects stall for years or never materialize. The imbalance of surging demand and sluggish grid expansion has increased blackout risks and strained utilities’ ability to forecast and maintain system reliability.
Against this backdrop, Enchanted Rock stands out as a real-world solution. Pete DiSanto, Vice President of Data Centers at Enchanted Rock, emphasized the role FERC must play in enabling timely and scalable interconnection reform. He noted that widespread deployment of reliable, dispatchable resources like natural gas-powered microgrids can alleviate pressure on the grid and support high-density loads such as data centers. By offering cleaner, flexible generation at or near the load, Enchanted Rock enables projects to move forward today—without waiting for uncertain grid upgrades. This positions the company as a key contributor to a more reliable and resilient digital infrastructure.
You can read the full article from Bisnow here.
