U.S. Fossil-Fuel Peaker Plants Delay Retirement as AI Power Demand Soars

More than half of the power plants in the PJM market running on fossil fuels have either deferred or canceled plans to retire as soaring electricity demand from AI data centers has operators use all available capacity to ensure the flexibility and reliability of the grids. PJM Interconnection is the biggest power grid in the United States, whose area covers 13 mid-Atlantic and Midwest states and the District of Columbia. According to a Reuters analysis of company filings in the PJM region, around 60% of the power plants running on oil, natural…