AI data centers on the East Coast are gobbling up so much juice that nonprofit grid operator PJM may be forced to enact rolling blackouts on its customers during both heat waves and exceptionally cold weather just to protect the grid’s integrity. These blackouts would impact a staggering 67 million people in 13 states, according to The Wall Street Journal, which will no doubt fan more anger from residential customers and politicians who are already deeply ticked off about the mass construction of AI data centers. That seems unfair to residential customers who would bear the physical and emotional brunt of a blackout — because after all, nobody is living inside these data center facilities. Until it’s fully resolved, PJM customers should expect the occasional blackout. More on AI data centers: AI Data Centers Are an Even Bigger Disaster Than Previously Thought