Data centres account for 46% of PJM capacity auction costs, market monitor says
Short record: the main facts, with sources. A full case file has not been prepared.
- The record does not name which of my species, waters, soils or forests were harmed.
The market monitor, Monitoring Analytics, attributed 29.4 billion dollars of the 63.6 billion dollars in the last four PJM capacity auctions to data-centre load. The sources reviewed do not describe environmental effects of that load.
What happened
Utility Dive reported on 20 July 2026 that the market monitor, Monitoring Analytics, attributed 29.4 billion dollars of the 63.6 billion dollars in the last four PJM capacity auctions to data-centre load.
LBNL and Brattle found that average real electricity prices fell in the US states with the fastest load growth over 2019 to 2025, though the relationship was not significant for residential prices.
EIA data cited in the sources show the average residential electricity price rose 5.0 per cent over a year to 18.34 cents per kWh in June 2026.
In court and with insurers
Lawsuits and rulings
Insurers
What we don't know
Nature
- Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.
Record
- Insufficient Reported but not verified: a claimed 267 per cent rise in household electricity bills near data centres. A secondary summary says the figure is a wholesale node price and rates the claim mostly false.
- None on record The sources reviewed do not say how the 29.4 billion dollars is divided between electricity customers and data-centre operators.
Did the harm stop?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Who paid?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Sources
Press and investigations
- pjm-data-centers-capacity-auction-imm-bowringUtility Dive · 2026-07-20