The tidal wave of data centers flooding onto our grid is a major reason why energy bills are going up. A recent report from Monitoring Analytics found that data centers are currently costing customers on Maryland’s regional grid over $9 billion in increased energy costs annually.

If data centers were to bring their own new clean energy it would reduce or eliminate those costs that all of us are currently paying on behalf of data center developers. Data centers bringing their own clean energy would also prevent the ungodly amount of pollution they would otherwise cause, but Getting data centers to bring their own new clean energy is now easy feat. It will require smart, effective policies both at the level of the regional PJM grid and at the state level.

I am very lucky to be joined by State Senator Katie Fry Hester who has been doing incredible work to protect consumers from potential increased of cost and pollution from data centers both at PJM and here in Maryland.