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PUC Releases Report Indicating New Large Loads Fundamentally Reshape Resource Adequacy Landscape
On September 1, 2026, the Pennsylvania PUC announced that it has released Electric Power Outlook for Pennsylvania 2025 – 2030 lates report.
In a press release the Commission said that,“Pennsylvania’s electricity needs have been relatively stable for years, but large new loads have the potential to fundamentally change that picture,” said PUC Chairman Steve DeFrank. “That makes accurate forecasting and careful planning more important than ever. We need a clear picture of what demand is actually coming and sufficient generation and transmission to reliably serve that growth, while continuing to protect existing consumers from unreasonable costs.”
Large Loads Reshape Pennsylvania Forecasts
Pennsylvania’s total electricity consumption decreased 0.24% in 2025 compared with 2024, even as the number of electric customers increased approximately 0.4%.
Looking ahead, however, forecasts submitted by Pennsylvania’s major electric distribution companies (EDCs) show sharply different growth rates among customer classes.
Over the five-year forecast period, average annual electricity usage is projected to increase approximately:
- 0.52% for residential customers
- 0.32% for commercial customers
- 18.56% for industrial customers
The projected industrial increase is driven primarily by anticipated large-load customers, particularly data centers.
The most dramatic projected growth is in the PPL Electric Utilities service territory, where total electricity usage is forecast to increase an average 20.51% annually and industrial usage an average 51.05% annually through 2030. The report notes that the projected industrial increase is almost entirely attributable to anticipated large data centers.
Link to past reports can be found here.
