Urges states in PJM Interconnection region to require data centers to obtain electricity from new zero- or low-emission sources of energy.

SR18 TR

SENATE RESOLUTION No. 18

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator BOB SMITH

District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)

Senator LINDA R. GREENSTEIN

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senators McKnight and Ruiz

SYNOPSIS

���� Urges states in PJM Interconnection region to require
data centers to obtain electricity from new zero- or low-emission sources of
energy.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As reported by the Senate Environment and Energy
Committee with technical review.

��

A Senate
Resolution

urging states in the PJM
Interconnection region to adopt measures requiring data centers to obtain their
electricity from new zero- or low-emission sources of energy.

Whereas,

Data centers in the United States utilize immense amounts of energy and account
for four percent of electricity consumption, according to the Electric Power
Research Institute; and

Whereas,

The United States Department of Energy has reported that data centers can
consume of up to 10 to 50 times as much energy as a typical office building;
and

Whereas,

Data centers in the United States are expected to consume double the amount of
their current electrical demand by 2030, up to 35 gigawatts, which is enough
electricity to power more than 26 million average homes; and

Whereas,

Electric grids across the country are struggling to accommodate the growing
electrical demands, many of which have already reached generation capacity and
face transmission bottlenecks which hinder economic growth and negatively
impact utility consumers; and

Whereas,

PJM Interconnection (PJM) is a regional transmission organization that services
the State of New Jersey, the District of Columbia, and 12 additional states, is
responsible for managing and operating the high voltage, multi-state electric
grid, coordinates the flow of electricity from power plants to local utilities,
and operates the wholesale energy market; and

Whereas,

In 2023, PJM cited rising energy and peak growth demands from data centers as a
key driver of electrical demands in the region; and

Whereas,

Governments that foster the development of zero- and low-carbon power will
attract investment into computational infrastructure and clean-power
technologies from corporations around the world, according to the Tony Blair
Institute for Global Change; and

Whereas,

Companies in the United States, such as Google, have already begun to partner
with clean energy companies to develop data centers located together with
grid-connected carbon-free energy to expand electricity capacity with reliable secure
power sources as a result of increased regional electric grid demands; and

Whereas,

Clean energy sources, such as solar and land-based wind energy, are some of the
most rapidly scalable and cost competitive ways to meet increased electricity
demand from data centers; and

Whereas,

State legislators play a critical role in accelerating the implementation of solutions
needed to support demand growth along with meeting climate change goals; and

Whereas,

It is therefore fitting and proper for this House to urge states within the PJM
region to enact policies that require data centers to obtain their electricity
from new zero- or low-emission energy sources; now, therefore,

����
Be It
Resolved
by the Senate of the State of New
Jersey:

���� 1.� This House urges all
states in the PJM Interconnection region to adopt measures that require data
centers to source their electricity from new clean energy sources.

���� 2.� Copies of this resolution,
as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of
the Senate to the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of the State of New Jersey,
the Governor of the State of Delaware, the Governor of the State of Illinois,
the Governor of the State of Indiana, the Governor of the Commonwealth of
Kentucky, the Governor of the State of Maryland, the Governor of the State of
Michigan, the Governor of the State of North Carolina, the Governor of the
State of Ohio, the Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Governor
of the State of Tennessee, the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and
the Governor of the State of West Virginia.