HARRISBURG, PA — Rapid expansion of data centers and related energy projects could cause Pennsylvania’s industrial electricity demand to jump by an average of 18.56% annually over the next five years, according to the state Public Utility Commission’s annual Electric Power Outlook Report released Tuesday.
The report, prepared by the PUC’s Bureau of Technical Utility Services, projects modest demand growth among residential and commercial customers through 2030, at 0.52% and 0.32% annually. However, industrial consumption is expected to surge due to anticipated "large-load" commercial additions, particularly massive data center campuses requiring significant power generation and transmission capacity.
The projected growth is most pronounced in PPL Electric Utilities' service territory in eastern and central Pennsylvania, where industrial usage is forecast to climb at an unprecedented 51.05% annually through 2030.
PUC Chairman Steve DeFrank noted that while Pennsylvania's total electricity consumption actually decreased by 0.24% in 2025, the influx of high-density computing facilities threatens to fundamentally alter the Commonwealth's energy landscape. State regulators and regional grid operator PJM Interconnection are currently evaluating generation and transmission adequacy to ensure infrastructure keeps pace with demand without shifting costs onto existing residential and small-business ratepayers.
