Are data centers raising electricity bills in Maryland?

Yes. BGE customers faced an average rate increase of roughly $250 a year in 2025, driven largely by PJM capacity charges — where data-center demand accounted for 40% of the record $16.4B auction. The $629M cost of keeping two near-Baltimore power plants running instead of retiring is also shared by PJM ratepayers, including Marylanders.

What is Quantum Loophole?

Quantum Loophole is a 2,000+ acre data-center campus in Frederick County, Maryland — one of the largest single planned data-center sites in the U.S. It's served by First Energy/Potomac Edison transmission and is planned for up to 70 data-center campuses drawing more than 2 GW. It accounts for about 800 MW of the 7,500 MW new Maryland load expected by 2028.

Why were power plants kept running instead of being shut down?

Two Talen Energy plants near Baltimore (Brandon Shores and H.A. Wagner) were ordered to keep running until 2029 instead of retiring in May 2025. PJM determined their closure would create reliability risks given the surge of data-center interconnection requests. Consumers across PJM — including Maryland — pay the $629 million cost.

Did my own electricity use go up?

Almost certainly not. Maryland residential usage was essentially flat (+3% from 2020 to 2025) while the average residential rate rose 50%. You're not using more — the cost of rebuilding the grid for data-center demand is showing up in your rate.

Independent · sourced data

Are Maryland's data centers raising your electric bill?

Maryland is in the middle of a data-center buildout that is already straining its grid. New data-center load expected by 2028 alone exceeds BGE's entire peak capacity built over more than a century. Two power plants near Baltimore that were scheduled to retire were ordered to keep running — at a $629 million cost borne by consumers — because the grid couldn't absorb the loss. Those costs, and the higher rates that follow, land on your bill.

What grew in Maryland, 2020 → 2025

Your MD residential rate +50%

13.01¢ → 19.48¢ per kWh

Your household usage +3%

MD residential kWh — essentially flat

Your rate jumped 50% in five years. Your own usage barely moved. The grid is being rebuilt for data centers — not your home.

The scale, in real numbers

7,500 MW

New MD data-center load expected by 2028

more than BGE's entire peak demand built over more than a century (PJM load forecast)

800 MW+ / up to 70 campuses

Quantum Loophole, Frederick County

one of the largest single data-center sites in the US — 2,000+ acres, up to 2 GW+ planned, served by First Energy/Potomac Edison

$629 million

Power plant 'bailout' cost to consumers

two Talen Energy plants near Baltimore kept running until 2029 (instead of retiring May 2025) to prevent grid overload driven by data-center demand

Triples 2024–2029

Data-center share of regional grid

data centers' proportion of the grid serving Maryland and nearby states is projected to triple in five years (PJM projection)

What's coming

PJM peak-demand growth by 2030: +32 GW

Data centers ~30 GW

~2 GW

PJM projects regional peak demand to grow ~32 GW by 2030, ~30 GW from data centers. BGE, Pepco, and Potomac Edison in Maryland are all in PJM (projection).

Frederick County's Quantum Loophole campus is still growing — up to 70 campuses and 2+ GW are planned across 2,000+ acres. Prince George's County, near the NoVA corridor, is also building out. Maryland regulators are developing new data-center oversight rules expected in 2026. The 7,500 MW load projection for 2028 is likely conservative given projects already in the pipeline.

The $629 million power plant bailout — paid by you

Two Talen Energy power plants near Baltimore — Brandon Shores and H.A. Wagner — were set to retire in May 2025. Instead, grid operator PJM ordered them to keep running until 2029 because shutting them down would create reliability risks given the wave of new data-center interconnection requests. The cost: $629 million, spread across consumers throughout the PJM region. Maryland utilities BGE, Pepco, and Potomac Edison are all PJM members, so Maryland ratepayers carry a share of that cost. The direct reason PJM cited: the pace of new large-load applications from data centers was outrunning the grid's ability to add new supply.

The $629M is a PJM-region cost shared across all PJM ratepayers — not a Maryland-only line item. Maryland's share is proportional to its load. The 7,500 MW figure is PJM's projected new load from Maryland through 2028; actual timing will depend on which projects connect on schedule.

The line to your PJM capacity charge

Maryland's main utilities — BGE (greater Baltimore), Pepco (Montgomery and Prince George's counties and DC), and Potomac Edison (western MD) — are all in PJM. BGE customers faced an average rate increase of roughly $250 a year in 2025, driven in large part by PJM capacity charges. PJM's market monitor attributed 40% of the record $16.4B capacity auction to data-center demand — and that cost flows to Maryland bills.

See the 2025–26 rate increases and the PJM capacity spike →

What you can do about your own bill

Is your bill too high? — compare it to your state's average and see if it's usage or rate.
Run the free bill audit — check whether a supplier is overcharging you.
Maryland bill help — assistance and your shutoff protections.

Common questions

Are data centers raising electricity bills in Maryland?: Yes. BGE customers faced an average rate increase of roughly $250 a year in 2025, driven largely by PJM capacity charges — where data-center demand accounted for 40% of the record $16.4B auction. The $629M cost of keeping two near-Baltimore power plants running instead of retiring is also shared by PJM ratepayers, including Marylanders.
What is Quantum Loophole?: Quantum Loophole is a 2,000+ acre data-center campus in Frederick County, Maryland — one of the largest single planned data-center sites in the U.S. It's served by First Energy/Potomac Edison transmission and is planned for up to 70 data-center campuses drawing more than 2 GW. It accounts for about 800 MW of the 7,500 MW new Maryland load expected by 2028.
Why were power plants kept running instead of being shut down?: Two Talen Energy plants near Baltimore (Brandon Shores and H.A. Wagner) were ordered to keep running until 2029 instead of retiring in May 2025. PJM determined their closure would create reliability risks given the surge of data-center interconnection requests. Consumers across PJM — including Maryland — pay the $629 million cost.
Did my own electricity use go up?: Almost certainly not. Maryland residential usage was essentially flat (+3% from 2020 to 2025) while the average residential rate rose 50%. You're not using more — the cost of rebuilding the grid for data-center demand is showing up in your rate.

The same story is reshaping bills in other states we cover:

Virginia data centers & your bill →Pennsylvania data centers & your bill →Ohio data centers & your bill →Illinois data centers & your bill →

Sources

Last reviewed June 19, 2026. Verified facts and modeled/forecast projections are distinguished in the text; demand forecasts are projections. General consumer information, not financial advice. RateWatchdog is independent and takes no supplier commissions.