Four Governors Whose States Rely on PJM Want Data Centers to Guarantee Their Own Power

OAKS, Pa. — In a surprise move that could benefit PJM Interconnection, four state governors have submitted a joint proposal formulated with the Data Center Coalition, an industry group, that favors approving connections to data center firms that will generate and add their own power to the grid.

The proposal would offer a fast track approval process for both the data centers and the power sources they would build. The idea was raised recently during a hearing held by PJM, the nation’s largest electrical grid, as it grapples with soaring demands and seeks federal approval later this year to hasten permit reviews.

Pamela Quinlan, a principal at GQS New Energy Strategies , an energy consulting company that represents the DCC, a leading data center trade group, described the eight-page p