The US’ largest grid operator, PJM Interconnection, saw a large proportion of data center load abruptly disconnect from its grid on Wednesday (22 July), causing a voltage disturbance felt from Washington, DC, to Chicago.
– Getty Images
According to reporting from Reuters, the disruption originated in northern Virginia, which is home to the highest concentration of data centers globally. Reports indicate that a regional transmission line went out of operation on the morning of June 22, prompting data centers in the area to disconnect their own systems from the grid and switch to backup power, according to Dominion Energy, the utility serving the region.
"Within minutes of the incident occurring, our system operations team was able to stabilize the situation and return to normal operating conditions," Dominion said in a statement.
The incident adds to pressure on federal and state regulators, who are already examining ways to manage sudden swings in demand from data centers and crypto mining operations that can strain grid stability.
