US Tech Companies Pledge to Fund Data Center Power Needs as FERC Reviews Large-Load Connection Rates
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Seven technology companies, including major data center and AI infrastructure buyers, signed a White House pledge in March 2026 to fund generation and power-delivery infrastructure required for their data centers. In June, FERC opened proceedings with six regional grid operators over tariffs for connecting large loads.
- Seven technology companies signed a March 2026 pledge covering generation and power-delivery infrastructure required for their data centers.
- FERC opened June 2026 proceedings with six regional grid operators on large-load connection tariffs.
- PJM capacity costs increased from $28.92/MW-day in 2024–25 to $269.92/MW-day in 2025–26.
- Data center demand could account for 9–17% of US electricity consumption by 2030, according to EPRI.
- Cost-allocation rules could become a material factor in AI data center siting, interconnection and power-contract structures.
Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle and xAI signed the White House Ratepayer Protection Pledge in March 2026. According to the source, the commitment covers funding generation required by their data centers, paying for electricity-delivery infrastructure, and bearing costs even when power is not used.
The pledge comes amid scrutiny of whether grid-expansion costs associated with large new data center loads should be borne by those loads or recovered more broadly from retail customers. In June 2026, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission initiated proceedings involving all six regional grid operators under its jurisdiction, requiring them to justify connection tariffs for large loads.
The issue is particularly material in PJM, which spans 13 US states. PJM capacity costs rose from $28.92/MW-day in 2024–25 to $269.92/MW-day in 2025–26. The source projects costs of $329.17/MW-day in 2026–27 and $333.44/MW-day in 2027–28; these are forecasts rather than settled tariffs. It estimates that data centers added approximately $9.3 billion to PJM's 2025–26 capacity auction, while also noting that data centers were not the sole driver of higher capacity costs.
For retail customers, the source says the average monthly Pepco bill in Washington had increased by about $21 by summer 2025, primarily linking the increase to higher PJM capacity costs. The Electric Power Research Institute estimates that US data centers could account for 9–17% of national electricity consumption by 2030, compared with approximately 4–5% at the time of publication.
For developers and operators of large AI data center campuses, access to power could increasingly depend not only on physical interconnection capacity but also on the allocation of capital and demand risk. Requirements to pre-fund generation, grid infrastructure and potentially unused electricity could raise barriers for new large-load projects. At the same time, such arrangements could provide a more predictable basis for grid and generation investment.
The actions point to a potential shift away from broadly socialising the cost and risk of grid expansion for large new loads. For AI data center developments, this could reshape project economics, interconnection timelines and the commercial terms for generation and transmission or distribution infrastructure.
- — / 12 октября 2026 г. · АнглийскийПервоисточник →
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