The data center power demand information released by AEP Ohio in the United States contains three different figures.
However, this does not mean that every application that failed to reach a contract can be counted as false demand. Existing contracts totaling 12,219 MW also stand separately, and reviewing a project and actually supplying electricity are different stages.
But the problems do not end even after data centers are built and operating
A financial guarantee case involving about $2 billion in Texas shows that the ability to raise funds and the transmission grid's actual ability to supply power are different things.
In July 2026, operating data centers in Northern Virginia switched to backup generators, removing about 3,800 MW of load from the grid. The data centers did not stop using electricity; rather, the sudden change in their power source caused an imbalance on the grid. No large-scale blackout occurred.
This also raises questions about who should bear the cost of transmission grid investment and whose electricity use should be reduced first in an emergency.
What matters in grid operations is not application volumes themselves, but actual supply capability, contractual responsibility and arrangements for responding to sudden changes in load.
The analysis examines these issues using materials from AEP, PJM, FERC and other sources.
https://causifold.com/ko/articles/ghost-demand-data-centers/
This analysis was written directly by the operator of CAUSIFOLD.
Original Korean article: news.hada.io
English brief by Korea Wind Intelligence, koreawindintel.com
