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Gov. Stein joins federal officials to pressure data centers to pay for more electricity in the Mid-Atlantic
By Zachary Turner
January 21, 2026 at 4:07 PM EST
Gov. Josh Stein has teamed up with federal officials to put pressure on data centers to pay for their own power, as concern mounts over who will bear the costs of fueling the AI boom.
The governor released a statement reiterating his commitment to making sure “data centers pay their fair share for the electricity they require to be generated.”
He signed a “Statement of Principles” alongside federal officials and a bipartisan group of governors in the eastern United States. The group urged the regional transmission organization, PJM, to implement protections for residential customers to keep electricity costs low.
Those recommendations include holding an auction for new power plants and generators and reforecasting the number of incoming data centers.
In North Carolina, PJM operates in the Northeast corner of the state.
The governor released a statement reiterating his commitment to making sure “data centers pay their fair share for the electricity they require to be generated.”
He signed a “Statement of Principles” alongside federal officials and a bipartisan group of governors in the eastern United States. The group urged the regional transmission organization, PJM, to implement protections for residential customers to keep electricity costs low.
Those recommendations include holding an auction for new power plants and generators and reforecasting the number of incoming data centers.
In North Carolina, PJM operates in the Northeast corner of the state.