That’s the first time in the grid operator’s history that this has happened. PJM projects that data centers alone will add over 30 gigawatts of additional peak electricity demand by 2030. That’s more than a tenfold increase, driven largely by the insatiable appetite of data center operators clustering in regions like Northern Virginia. That order gave PJM the authority to curtail power to data centers that have backup generation capabilities during grid emergencies. PJM’s emergency curtailment authority over data centers with backup generation could create a template that eventually extends to large-scale mining facilities as well.