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Dive Brief:
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission voted unanimously Thursday to approve two motions that could impact data center development and ratemaking in the state.
One directs PUC staff to propose updates to the state’s rules for emergency curtailment, and to organize a technical conference on cost allocation for data centers. The other sets in motion the creation of a working group to examine “potential improvements” to the commission’s ratemaking processes with a focus on transparency and affordability.
The votes came after an August PUC report projected that the state faces industrial load growth of 18.56% over the next five years, driven “primarily” by PPL Electric Utilities Corp.’s large-load forecast. The same report said electricity usage declined from 2024 to 2025. “The combination of rapid load growth and tightening resource adequacy conditions requires us to carefully examine whether our existing regulatory framework is sufficient for the challenges ahead,” PUC Vice Chair Kimberly Barrow said in a Thursday release.
