The largest power grid in the United States, operated by PJM Interconnection, currently has no spare capacity available to support new data center projects. According to the system’s independent watchdog, developers looking to establish new data centers will need to build their own power generation facilities to meet demand. This shortage is driven by rapidly increasing electricity consumption from AI-driven applications and cryptocurrency mining, including Bitcoin. The capacity auction held last year reached $14.7 billion, with expectations that the current auction may exceed that amount due to the overwhelming demand. The watchdog emphasized that the grid is effectively maxed out, underscoring the challenges in accommodating the expansion of data centers without additional generation resources.