Data Centers Are Increasing Consumer Energy Costs In Mid-Atlantic, Say Panelists

WASHINGTON, March 3, 2026 – Imagine two cities the size of Baltimore coming on the grid each year without the energy capacity to cover the increased usage. 

This is the scale of increase data centers are adding to the PJM grid, according to a group panelists who spoke at The Brookings Institution on Monday. The PJM is the regional power grid that operates in 12 states and the District of Columbia, stretching from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic. 

Dr. Joseph Bowring, president of monitoring analytics, a PJM market monitoring service, noted that despite a recent focus on household electrification and electric vehicle usage, increased energy prices are being driven directly by data centers, according to the data.