Read more: Found hereAnd, doing the math, a hyper-scale data center commonly ranges from 60 megawatts to several hundred megawatts, according to C. James Davis, director of rates, energy procurement and federal affairs at Duquesne Light.
⁘A single data center could account for as much as 30% of the current peak load in our entire service area in Allegheny and Beaver counties,⁘ Davis testified Thursday before the state⁘s Public Utility Commission.
As data centers continue to pop up in Pennsylvania ⁘ including soon at the former Alcoa research center in Upper Burrell and the former Homer City Generating Station in Indiana County ⁘ the PUC is looking into the growing impact of data centers on the state⁘s electric grid.
⁘We want to have a good comprehensive plan,⁘ said PUC Chairman Stephen M. DeFrank. ⁘Here in PA, we have a great opportunity here. And at the end of the day, we are hopefully benefiting all ratepayers.⁘
Florida-based TECfusions in December purchased the former Alcoa site in Upper Burrell with plans for 3 gigawatts of capacity to be deployed over six years. That⁘s about three times more than the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant generated while in operation.
James, said, if not managed correctly, data centers could stress the state⁘s electric grid and cause unintended shifting of costs to other customers.
He recommended PUC require data centers to bear the costs of studies and infrastructure investment. He said the PUC also should ensure reliability of the grid by requiring large load customers to ⁘bring their own generation,⁘ or supply their own primary generation.
⁘Duquesne Light is committed to supporting large load growth in the Pittsburgh region while ensuring adequate generation supply, reliability, affordability and the safety of the electric grid,⁘ Davis testified. ⁘Equally important, Duquesne Light seeks to avoid unreasonable cost shifts to other customers.⁘
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