A key vote that could decide if DC-area data centers jack up your power bill

Ahead of an central vote D C -area lawmakers are urging the operators of the electrical grid that powers the region to protect the power rates that customers pay The lawmakers including D C Council member Charles Allen are calling on PJM Interconnection to adopt a plan called the Protecting Ratepayers Proposal It s a bipartisan proposal that among other things requires evidence center owners to provide for their own power cooling and other infrastructure support rather than relying solely on a utility grid That s known in the power business as bringing its own ceiling PJM is the electrical grid operator for Maryland North Carolina Pennsylvania Tennessee Virginia West Virginia and the District of Columbia among a large number of other states At a news conference Monday Council member Allen revealed if the input center operators are allowed to connect to the grid without conditions it will cost D C power customers a lot of money If nothing changes residents of the District of Columbia could face increases of as much as a month by he mentioned Maryland State Sen Katie Fry Hester who co-chairs the National Conference of State Legislators ability and climate committee reported higher power bills are not the only issue customers face Whose power will be curtailed first when the blackouts that PJM has recounted us are coming arrive she inquired On Wednesday the PJM Board of Directors will decide how to manage the connection of records centers to the regional grid PJM welcomes all proposals entered into the Critical Issue Fast-Path stakeholder process which aims to preserve grid reliability for the million people we serve while managing the integration of input centers and other large electricity users onto the system The fact that we have received different thoughtful proposals indicates the importance of this issue as well as the numerous opinions on how to solve it PJM explained WTOP in an emailed declaration Hester characterized the PJM decision as unprecedented and is urging a thoughtful approach We welcome the economic opportunity that these input centers bring but this development has to be matched with responsibility she announced Source