Reference
Key Numbers#
The figures most frequently cited in this report, with the date each was reported and the body that published it. Values drawn directly from official records are given as published; modelled or derived values are shown as ranges. Where two authorities measure the same quantity on different bases, both are listed rather than reconciled.
| Metric | Value | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERCOT large-load interconnection queue | 438 GW | Jun 2026 | ERCOT |
| ERCOT large load approved to energize | ~9 GW | Apr 2026 | ERCOT LLWG |
| ERCOT observed simultaneous large-load peak | ~3.7 GW | Mar 2026 | ERCOT LLWG |
| ERCOT all-time system peak | 85.5 GW | Aug 2023 | ERCOT |
| PJM Base Residual Auction clearing price, 2028/29 | $325/MW-day (at cap) | Jul 2026 | PJM |
| PJM capacity cost attributable to data centres | 40–45% of $47.2B over three auctions | Mar 2026 | Monitoring Analytics (IMM) |
| Measured capacity-driven bill increase | ~$10–20/month in affected PJM zones | 2025–26 | IEEFA; DC OPC |
| Largest uncommanded load loss, ERCOT | 1,560–1,600 MW; 60.235 Hz; 12 min 30 s to recover | Dec 2022 | ERCOT PDCWG |
| Largest uncommanded load loss, Eastern Interconnection | ~1,500 MW across 60 delivery points | Jul 2024 | NERC |
| ERCOT instantaneous-loss study threshold | ~2,600 MW | Sep 2025 | ERCOT LLWG |
| Documented ERCOT events above 100 MW | 26 | Jan 2023 – Sep 2025 | ERCOT |
| US retail electricity sales | 3,975 TWh | 2024 | EIA EPA Table 2.5 |
| US installed capacity, net summer | 1,230 GW at nameplate; 955 GW excluding wind and solar | 2024 | EIA EPA Tables 4.2.A/B |
| US data-centre consumption | 176 TWh (LBNL); 183 TWh (IEA) | 2023; 2024 | LBNL; IEA |
| US data-centre consumption, 2030 projection | 649 TWh reference, 578–664 range (LBNL); 426 TWh (IEA) | 2030 | LBNL 2025 Update; IEA |
| Modelled curtailment-enabled headroom | 76–98 GW at 0.25–0.5% of annual consumption | 2025 | Nicholas Institute, Duke |
| Demand response cleared in PJM capacity market | 5,531 → 7,299 MW after ELCC reform | 2026/27 → 2027/28 | PJM |
| FERC show-cause orders to RTOs and ISOs | Six; responses due Aug 17, 2026 | Jun 18, 2026 | FERC (EL26-67 et seq.) |
| NERC standards and registration criteria due | Dec 31, 2026 | Directed Jul 16, 2026 | FERC (RD26-7-000) |
Table N1 — Key numbers. Each entry is discussed, sourced and qualified in the section indicated in the References. This page is a locator, not a substitute for the treatment in the text: several of these figures carry material caveats — notably the ERCOT queue, which includes duplicate and speculative requests, and the 2030 consumption projections, on which two careful bodies differ by roughly fifty percent.
Sources: As listed in the final column of each row; each figure is discussed and qualified in the section indicated.