Warned that customers could face economic uncertainty moving forward.
US public utility Exelon has reported that its data center pipeline has swelled to 36GW, almost doubling since the end of last year.
In the company’s Q1 earnings report, it revealed that its utility companies are currently studying 16GW of “high density” interconnection requests, in addition to 16GW of “high probability” projects, that are also seeking a grid connection.
Exelon said that of the 16GW of projects that have already paid deposits, 10 percent are expected to come online by 2028, a third by 2030, three-quarters by 2034, and the remainder after that.
To facilitate the new capacity, Exelon said it will spend more than $15 billion on transmission infrastructure upgrades. The $15bn will be in addition to the utility’s $38bn, four-year capital spending plan.
The capacity growth comes only a few months after the utility reported that its pipeline of data centers and other “high-density loads” more than doubled to 17GW compared to a year ago.
The utility also warned that customers could face increased economic uncertainty moving forward, citing federal budgeting, tariffs, and the increased cost of energy.
“Some of our customers are broadly struggling with economic uncertainty as we all navigate updated tariff policies, federal budget reprioritization, and increased energy supply costs,” said Calvin Butler, CEO of Exelon.
Exelon is heavily reliant on domestic energy supplies, making it more exposed to price shocks in local markets. Butler reported that due to the impact of planned import tariffs, the cost of its capital plan and operations and maintenance plan could increase by 1.5 percent.
Exelon is the US’ largest utility company. It currently serves more than 10 million customers along the East Coast through its subsidiaries. Exelon’s utility companies include Atlantic City Electric, Baltimore Gas and Electric, Commonwealth Edison, Delmarva Power & Light, PECO Energy Co., and Potomac Electric Power Co.
