PUCO urges FERC to separate Ohio manufacturers from new JPM data center rules

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio is urging federal regulators to stop a regional grid operator from treating traditional manufacturers the same as data centers and crypto miners when it comes to new power rules.

On Sept. 3, the PUCO filed comments with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on PJM Interconnection’s proposed Interim Resource Adequacy Service—building on previously filed “reliability backstop procurement” process comments. The plan would require new large electricity users connecting after June 1, 2027, to bring their own generation or face being first in line for power cuts during grid stress.

However, PJM’s definition of “new large load” is based on size alone. That would sweep in factories and other non-data-center customers, according to the PUCO, which says FERC should limit the category to data centers and cryptocurrency miners.

“As Ohio and America work to onshore and expand domestic manufacturing, it is counterproductive to place additional constraints on traditional manufacturers and other non-data center large loads,” PUCO Chair Jenifer French said in a release.

The comments follow an Aug. 21 PUCO filing on PJM’s reliability backstop procurement for the 2028-2029 delivery year. In that earlier filing, the commission argued data center customers should bear the full cost of capacity shortfalls that they help to create.

Ohio officials have repeatedly said data centers are driving new strain on the grid and that other customers should not subsidize that growth.