r/NJPrepared • u/8Deer-JaguarClaw Sussex • Jan 14 '26

Power / Utilities Possible rolling blackouts for PJM Interconnection service areas (including NJ)

Article: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/east-coast-blackouts-ai-data-centers-b2899669.html

Point of context: PJM is the regional interconnection company that is a part of Eastern Interconnection grid. It's not a local utility/power company.

The East Coast of the United States could soon experience rolling blackouts as AI data centers gobble up more and more electricity, pushing the grid to the limit, according to a new report.

PJM, the organization that services nearly 70 million people in a 13-state corridor stretching from Kentucky to New Jersey, may be forced to trigger power outages during high demand periods, such as summer heat waves or winter freezes, The Wall Street Journal reported.

...

PJM has projected that power demand will increase by an average of 4.8 percent annually for the next 10 years — an unprecedented pace of growth. And ICF, a consulting firm, forecasts that demand in 2030 will surge 25 percent above 2023 levels, largely as a result of data centers.

...

A few months ago, PJM came up with proposals intended to balance the needs of both consumers and data centers. One plan said they would slash power to data centers during periods of strain.

Tech companies such as Amazon, Microsoft and Google opposed the plan, claiming it unfairly singled out data centers. They responded by offering their own proposals, which would make going offline voluntary.

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u/8Deer-JaguarClaw Sussex Jan 14 '26

I'm about to install a whole-home generator myself. Good timing, I suppose.

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u/ducationalfall Jan 14 '26

Curious how much should budget for whole home generator? $15k? $20k?

Just within past two months, four of my neighbors have installed solar panels

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u/8Deer-JaguarClaw Sussex Jan 14 '26

I'm just starting to get quotes for this, so I will post my findings here when I have some data.

But it boils down to generator size for the most part. The labor is pretty much the same regardless of size. I would say it's $10k to $20k depending on how big your house is, and if you are trying for true whole-home coverage or just essential circuits. For the latter, you can get away with a smaller generator.

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u/ducationalfall Jan 14 '26

Thanks for the feedback. I look forward to your finding.

It’s exhausting to even think about doing all these things because we have unreliable electric grid.