May 14, 2025

Western grid faces record load growth, reliability risks from data centers

Data centers in the Western Interconnection are dominating the grid connection queues, accounting for nearly 80% of total requests from large load customers.

Exponential Surge: The Western Interconnection's electricity demand is projected to surge by 20% over the next decade, driven primarily by data centers and other large loads, according to a report published February for the Western Electricity Coordinating Council. This unprecedented growth presents significant reliability challenges for the bulk power system. By the Numbers: Peak-hour demand is expected to jump from ...

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Filing Date: February 1, 2025

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Short Summary:

The Western Interconnection’s electricity demand is projected to surge by 20% over the next decade, driven primarily by data centers and other large loads, according to a report published February for the Western Electricity Coordinating Council. This unprecedented growth presents significant reliability challenges for the bulk power system.

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Energy Market Intelligence

Tags: Data Centers, Generator Interconnection Queue, Grid Reliability, Large Loads, Load Forecasts, Peak Load, Planning Reserve Margins, Resource Adequacy

Entities: Western Electricity Coordinating Council

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Regions: West

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Report: Assessment of Large Load Interconnection Risks in the Western Interconnection