Maryland residents face $2 billion power grid upgrade bill for out-of-state AI data centers; state agency complains to federal regulators, says costs violate ratepayer protection pledge—residential customers to pay $345 each over ten years.

Maryland citizens slapped with $2 billion power grid upgrade bill for out-of-state AI data centers — state complains to federal energy regulators, says additional cost breaks ‘ratepayer protection pledge’ promises

(Image credit: Shutterstock) The Maryland Office of People’s Counsel (OPC), a state agency that represents its utility consumers, filed a complaint before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regarding PJM Interconnection, LLC’s plans to charge it $2 billion of the $22 billion it spent to upgrade its grid to accommodate increasing demand from data centers. According to the OPC’s press release, this $2 billion bill will cost the state’s consumers an extra $1.6 billion in the next ten y...