East coast could soon get rolling blackouts during summer because data centers have pushed electric grid to the limit | The Independent

The East Coast of the United States may soon face rolling blackouts due to the increasing electricity consumption of AI data centers, which are heavily concentrated in Northern Virginia. PJM, the organization servicing nearly 70 million people in a 13-state corridor, may have to trigger power outages during high demand periods. The AI boom has led to soaring energy bills and unprecedented growth in power demand, with forecasts predicting a 25 percent increase by 2030. While some propose slashing power to data centers during strain, tech companies oppose this, offering voluntary proposals instead.