Grid capacity, and who pays for it
Updated 2026-08-07
Large loads can force substation and transmission upgrades. The policy question is whether those costs land on the customer causing them or on every ratepayer.
Ask for a separate data-center rate class or special contract that assigns upgrade and reliability costs to the load, plus curtailment obligations so backup generation does not quietly transfer risk to the neighborhood.
Sources
- Moratorium Nation — grid_energy and infrastructure_capacity triggers — Bommarito et al. (2026)