The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved PJM Interconnection's request to develop a data center database across its footprint.

The new database is expected to improve how PJM plans for data centers. It will give the Regional Transmission Operator (RTO) more detail on each site, including location, power providers, in-service dates, and load ramp-up timelines, as well as backup generation and fuel supply.

Although FERC approved the creation of a database, it rejected several other provisions PJM requested to manage data center load, including allowing it to temporarily shut off grid power to the facilities to avoid blackouts during peak demand.

In a filing, the regulatory body said PJM could submit a revised curtailment plan, but it would have to address several issues to gain approval, including why data centers would be shut off instead of other large industrial users. FERC said it rejected the plan because it strayed outside the RTO’s authority.

PJM, which is the largest RTO in the US, has been grappling with huge data center demand across its footprint, which includes data center hotspots such as Virginia and Ohio. This has led to price increases and impacted grid reliability, including a large-scale voltage disturbance in July, which saw more than 3GW of power being brought offline.

PJM only expects data center demand across its footprint to rise in the coming years, with the RTO projecting electricity requirements from the sector to triple by 2030 to 29GW across its Midwest and Mid-Atlantic territory.

To account for the huge demand, the RTO has set out a range of proposals. For example, in August, the grid operator proposed that all new data center customers with a capacity of 50MW or more must pay for the new power generation needed to support their facilities. Several states and utilities have already imposed similar rules to prevent cost shifting onto regular ratepayers.