PJM Interconnection has proposed a controversial plan to prioritize data centers for power curtailments during grid emergencies, sparking widespread opposition from stakeholders across the energy sector. The issue centers on PJM’s fast-track stakeholder process to develop rules by the end of the year for interconnecting data centers to its system while ensuring the region has enough power supplies. The proposal centers on treating new data centers over 50 MW as “non-capacity-backed load,” or NCBL. It appears unlikely that data centers that want 99.999% uptime would accept having their load curtailed, Monitoring Analytics said. States seek alternative approachesWith the explosive growth of Big Tech’s data centers threatening to overload U.S. electricity grids, policymakers are taking a hard look at a tough-love solution: bumping the energy-hungry data centers off grids during power emergencies, according to Finance & Commerce.