A report commissioned by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and conducted by consulting firm Synapse Energy Economics warns that rolling blackouts could occur more than 13 days per year in a worst-case scenario where data center growth is unrestrained and electricity supplies stay tight. Even with new power plant construction over the next 15 years, the PJM grid would still fall short of demand six times per decade on average, and the system's reliability would be between six and 100 times worse than PJM's planning standard of one loss-of-load event per decade by 2030. The only scenario in which PJM meets its reliability goal is one in which no new data centers are built after 2026. PUC Chairman Steve DeFrank called Pennsylvania's situation an "energy crossroads" and urged policymakers, utilities, and other stakeholders to act.
The report covers the PJM grid, which spans from New Jersey to Illinois and serves 67 million consumers, meaning the reliability risks identified extend well beyond Pennsylvania. The finding that grid reliability could degrade six to 100 times below PJM's own planning standard by 2030 sets a concrete timeline that will pressure regulators and legislators across the region to impose new requirements on data center development and power supply.
A Pennsylvania Capital-Star study warning of electricity shortages tied to data center demand is directly relevant to the grid reliability beat and adds a new state-level analytical angle. While Pennsylvania PUC warnings have been covered, this appears to be a distinct study-driven story with fresh framing not already published.