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— Molly, Carrie, and the Energy Central editorial team
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This key stat points to stark wealth disparities in America’s data center hotspots.
So far, the US data center buildout has brought the most computing capacity to relatively wealthy areas—so these communities can handle the energy cost spikes, right? Not exactly.
We took a close look at the 20 counties with the most data center capacity, and found that the majority have median household incomes above the country-wide mark. But another stat paints a more complex picture: a county’s energy burden (the average percent of income that households spend on energy).
Digging into the numbers: On this list, households that earn 30% or below median area income have particularly high average energy burdens (ranging from 10-20%). For perspective: The DOE considers energy burdens above 6% “high.”
Exhibit A: Take Loudoun County, a wealthy DC suburb that hosts the world’s biggest concentration of data centers.
On paper, it seems like Loudoun would feel minimal sting: The county’s median income (over $200K) is more than double the national level. But those earning 30% or below Loudoun’s median face a 16% energy burden, on average.
How it all ties together: Utilities typically recover costs associated with data center growth through rate hikes. During rate cases, regulators use varying metrics to gauge how bill increases would affect customers. California, for example, tracks affordability with in-depth local data.
But some regulators rely on area median incomes to determine economic risks to local populations—and, in the process, they may underestimate the impacts on households already struggling to make ends meet.
Who’s pushing back: Surveys have found that low-income Americans resist data centers five times more often than high earners. So it’s no surprise that opposition is mounting in hotspots like Lackawanna County, PA, and Lake County, IN, where low-income households face particularly heavy energy burdens.
In Lackawanna County, officials voted to commission what appears to be a first-of-its-kind study on data centers’ cumulative health impacts.
In Lake County, ratepayers protested outside NIPSCO’s headquarters in response to rising bills.
What to watch next: With the midterms looming, officials have unveiled data center moratoriums and cost-protection promises across the country. Meanwhile, senators are squabbling over the Ratepayer Protection Act, which some Dems call “toothless.”
As the elections come and go, we’ll be watching whether politicians actually deliver—or whether the energy burden in data center-dense regions will continue to grow.
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FERC has greenlit a NERC standard to keep renewables online during grid disturbances.
The gist: The new FERC-approved standard, which went into effect on Oct. 1, orders inverter-based resources to ride through frequency and voltage shifts. The standard applies to solar PV, most modern wind projects, BESS, and resources linked to VSC-HVDC facilities.
The reasoning: After thousands of megawatts of solar tripped offline during grid disruptions over the past decade, FERC ordered NERC to step up its reliability game. Now, the stakes continue to rise with growing grid strain from data centers.
MISO and ISO-NE are making major moves to bolster the grid in 2027.
On the MISO side: The grid operator has proposed a fast-track review process for large loads >200 MW (and their accompanying generation). MISO aims to launch it during Q1 2027, pending FERC approval. This plan could help the region weather up to 3% projected annual load growth through 2044 (following decades of 0.5% annual growth).
On the ISO-NE side: The org laid out an ambitious list of goals for next year, including 1) Reforming capacity auctions 2) directing large loads to BYO new generation and 3) launching independent reviews of transmission owners’ proposals for repair projects. The latter arrives in response to complaints from politicians and ratepayer advocates.
Maryland is trying a new tactic to supercharge storage.
The strategy: MD is kicking off its first major storage procurement with two early-stage projects totaling 440 MW. If these installations pan out, the state will offer the developers Energy Storage Capacity Credits—flat, 15-year payments that could “hedge” against future PJM price uncertainty and help the projects secure financing, the Maryland PSC wrote in a statement.
The background: A state law that passed in 2025 requires the PSC to procure 1.6 GW of grid-connected storage. The next solicitation round is slated to begin by Jan. 1, 2027.
While we’re here: Over in New York, NYSERDA has selected 950 MW of bids to add much-needed storage to the Empire State. This marks the first of three annual RFPs, each targeting 1 GW of BESS.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District is hiring a journey-level electrical engineer.
The City of Bessemer is hiring a utilities assistant operations manager.
North Carolina Electric Cooperative is hiring a senior engineer for technical field services.
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Thanks for reading. Talk soon!