EnergyOnline
Services

RSS FEED

EnergyOnline.com rss

News

Faster-than-Expected Data Center Load Growth May Cause Increased Regional Short-term Fossil Fuel Generation and Wholesale Electricity Prices

LCG, March 18, 2026--The EIA released a new "In-depth Analysis" of the potential impact of faster-than-expected near-term growth in data center power demand on power generation and wholesale prices on March 12. The analysis models the lower 48 states through 2027 and compares results to its base case scenario. Key takeaway from this sensitivity analysis is the potential increase in fossil fuels in some regions and potentially a significant increase in wholesale prices in ERCOT.

Read more

Faster-than-Expected Data Center Load Growth May Cause Increased Regional Short-term Fossil Fuel Generation and Wholesale Electricity Prices

LCG, March 18, 2026--The EIA released a new "In-depth Analysis" of the potential impact of faster-than-expected near-term growth in data center power demand on power generation and wholesale prices on March 12. The analysis models the lower 48 states through 2027 and compares results to its base case scenario. Key takeaway from this sensitivity analysis is the potential increase in fossil fuels in some regions and potentially a significant increase in wholesale prices in ERCOT.

Read more

Industry News

Puget Energy Says California Caps Affect Us, Too

LCG, Nov. 3, 2000--Puget Sound Energy Corp. has requested federal regulators to uniformly impose price caps on sellers of wholesale electricity in both the California and Pacific Northwest power markets.

Puget Energy said that price caps set only in California without the same applied in the Pacific Northwest would result in California buying Pacific Northwest power at artificially low prices when they needed it and Pacific Northwest customers paying higher costs when the need is reversed.

"Generally, we do not favor price caps since they do not allow a wholesale market to workcompetitively," said William A. Gaines, Puget Sound Energy vice president of energy supply. "But inthis case, the only thing worse than a price cap is a price cap on only part of the market."

Gaines' remarks came in anticipation of power price limits that could be imposed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in the wake of the agency's investigation into California's wholesale electricity market.

"While Puget Sound Energy strongly supports a competitive marketplace, any federal action thatwill alter the wholesale electric market in one region, needs to apply to all affected parts of thatregion," Gaines added.

In a complaint filed with FERC, Puget Energy pointed out that thousands of power transaction occur each month between California and the Northwest, and told the federal regulators that it is "unfair and unduly discriminatory to protect wholesale purchasers in California with a price cap and yet deny similar protection to wholesale purchasers in another part of essentially the same market, i.e. the Pacific Northwest."

Copyright © 2026 LCG Consulting. All rights reserved. Terms and Copyright
UPLAN-NPM
The Locational Marginal Price Model (LMP) Network Power Model
Uniform Storage Model
A Battery Simulation Model
UPLAN-ACE
Day Ahead and Real Time Market Simulation
UPLAN-G
The Gas Procurement and Competitive Analysis System
PLATO
Database of Plants, Loads, Assets, Transmission...
CAISO CRR Auctions
Monthly Price and Congestion Forecasting Service