The White House and a bipartisan group of governors are urging PJM Interconnection to move quickly to expand power supply and blunt price spikes driven by energy-hungry AI data centers, elevating a pocketbook issue ahead of this year’s elections. The administration’s National Energy Dominance Council and governors from states including Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia are backing a plan to compel PJM to run a special power auction that would secure contracts to build new generation, according to people familiar with the effort. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro conditioned his support on extending limits on wholesale price increases for consumers. PJM said it was not invited to Friday’s event. Consumer advocates say ratepayers across PJM’s 13-state footprint are already subsidizing billions in costs tied to data-center demand without seeing commensurate new capacity. Utilities sought or won more than $34 billion in rate hikes through the first three quarters of 2025, amplifying political pressure in swing states where rising bills have become a flashpoint. The push underscores how AI’s rapid growth is colliding with grid constraints and election-year affordability concerns.
Related articles:
— PJM Interconnection
— Data center
— Electricity pricing
— Demand response
— Energy policy of the United States
