AI continues to pressure power prices

AI data centre demand has pushed capacity auction prices in the US's largest power grid (PJM) to $325/MWday, with data centres accounting for roughly $6.3bn of $16.4bn in total ratepayer costs. New York has imposed the first statewide moratorium on large-scale data centre construction in response to spiralling utility rates and public pushback. If you're building an AI data centre in the PJM region (13 states, 67 million people), your power costs just got locked in at regulatory ceiling — but New York's moratorium signals states are now willing to ban you rather than absorb the bill. Site your next facility outside regulated grids or expect permitting wars.