Big Tech is spending hundreds of billions of dollars in the global race for AI dominance. It must never be at the expense of the citizens of Pennsylvania. They must fully fund any incremental costs to the Pennsylvania electric grid and not pass the burden to us – the rate payers.
On Nov. 19, PJM, the nonprofit that regulates the electrical grid for our region, will decide whether AI data centers need to fund their own energy projects if they want to join our regional grid. For our planet and our pocketbooks, the answer is without doubt – yes!
We are in the midst of an energy …
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Big Tech is spending hundreds of billions of dollars in the global race for AI dominance. It must never be at the expense of the citizens of Pennsylvania. They must fully fund any incremental costs to the Pennsylvania electric grid and not pass the burden to us – the rate payers.
On Nov. 19, PJM, the nonprofit that regulates the electrical grid for our region, will decide whether AI data centers need to fund their own energy projects if they want to join our regional grid. For our planet and our pocketbooks, the answer is without doubt – yes!
We are in the midst of an energy crisis; the fact that demand is outpacing supply is the main reason our energy bills have been on the rise. PJM must tell Big Tech no new AI data centers, unless they fund new clean energy projects as millions of ratepayers’ energy reliability is at stake. And we must also address transmission and other charges contributing to the runaway escalation in our electric bills.
Gov. Shapiro has sued PJM, and won a monthly price cap of millions. PJM listened because Pennsylvania is a net energy exporter — they need us more than we need them.
We must insist PJM require data centers be brought online in a responsible, sustainable way and if their increased demand exceeds our energy supply, data centers are the ones that need to turn off for an estimated 22 hours a year, instead of cutting tens of thousands of hours of our home AC units.
If PJM prioritizes getting data centers online ASAP over affordable, renewable energy, then Gov. Shapiro should continue his bold leadership and look at options to leave the PJM.
Henry Schwartz
West Mt. Airy
