DOVER, Del.- Four Delaware lawmakers have joined a regional group focused on tackling rising energy costs linked to large-scale electricity usage.
State Sen. Stephanie Hansen, Sen. Russ Huxtable, Rep. Frank Burns, and Rep. Debra Heffernan have joined the bipartisan PJM State Legislator Collaborative. The group includes lawmakers from 12 other states and Washington, D.C., working to influence energy policy across the PJM Interconnection grid — the system that manages electricity for about 67 million customers in the region.
The move comes as PJM and its members weigh new rules around “large load additions,” a term for major energy consumers such as data centers.
Energy advocates, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, say customers are already seeing higher costs as data center construction expands. The organization estimates that ratepayers could face an additional $163 billion in costs by 2033.
PJM is considering proposals this month on how to manage these growing energy demands. Voting members, which include Pepco Holdings — the parent company of Delmarva Power — are expected to take action on Nov. 19.
Delaware lawmakers recently sent a letter to Delmarva Power urging the company to support policies that prevent data center costs from being passed on to existing customers. The letter states that while data centers contribute to economic and national security goals, their growth “must be incorporated in a fair way” that protects ratepayers.
Sen. Hansen, who chairs the Senate Environment, Energy and Transportation Committee, said Delaware’s energy challenges are tied to projects across the East Coast.
“Because Delaware is part of a regional grid, projects all across the East Coast and even as far as Ohio have direct impacts on our energy supply and demand here in the First State,” Hansen said.
Rep. Heffernan, who leads the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee, said the effort is about balance.
“While I understand that data centers are rising in importance to support new changes in our everyday life, academia, and national security needs, they cannot take precedence over basic human rights,” she said.
PJM will hear multiple presentations on the issue this month, including one from the bipartisan legislative group, before voting on the proposals.
More information on the proposals is available on PJM’s website.