Power · Oct 19, 2026, 10:13
FERC Approves PJM's 50 MW Load Registry but Rejects Data Center Curtailment Plan
FERC's Oct. 9 order lets PJM track loads of 50 MW or more but rejects its IRAS curtailment plan, leaving data center emergency rules for the 13-state grid open.
Transmission lines feeding a data center campus.
Illustration (AI-generated)
Washington, October 9 — The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved a PJM Interconnection registry for large loads of 50 MW or more but rejected PJM's Interim Resource Adequacy Service, the plan to curtail new data centers without their own capacity during grid emergencies. PJM serves 67 million customers across 13 states.
FERC said the plan raised concerns about state authority over retail sales and the treatment of different customer groups. PJM may file a revised curtailment proposal.
The Technical Details
IRAS would have required certain new large loads to bring new capacity or face curtailment in emergencies. It also proposed excluding eligible new large loads from part of PJM's capacity-market demand calculation starting with the 2029/2030 delivery year.
The approved registry collects each large load's location, projected in-service date, ramp schedule, peak demand, supply arrangements and backup generation.
