Data centres are pushing America's largest power grid to the brink, threatening blackouts across 13 states

The US Department of Energy has declared a power grid emergency covering 13 states and 67 million people, temporarily relaxing pollution rules so the PJM Interconnection grid can burn extra fossil fuels and keep the lights on through Friday. Data centres are now bearing much of the blame, with demand forecast to triple by 2030 and a 6.8 gigawatt shortfall already opening up. Energy Secretary Chris Wright also rounded on the Biden administration, accusing it of weakening the grid by favouring wind and solar over coal and gas. The emergency order, issued under the Federal Power Act, also grants PJM authority to force data centres to switch to backup generators as a last resort.

Unseasonably warm October temperatures — highs of 87°F in Baltimore — have collided with scheduled power plant maintenance, tipping the grid into crisis.

Capacity costs on the PJM grid have surged more than 1,000 per cent since 2024, as electricity demand races ahead of new generating capacity coming online.

Pennsylvania's utility regulator Steve DeFrank warned that by 2030 the grid could fail to meet demand up to 100 times more often than planned — unless data centre growth is halted entirely.