FERC Order 2023 moved PJM to a cluster-study model. The result: campuses previously heading to Loudoun are quietly re-siting to West Virginia and Ohio. Here's the pattern in the data.
In Short
- Loudoun County, VA — saturated. New requests routed elsewhere.
- Preston + Berkeley Counties, WV — three new 500 MW campuses in the queue as of Q2.
- Columbus + Marysville, OH — two hyperscaler campuses moving up the cluster order.
FERC Order 2023 took effect in early 2026, moving PJM from serial-study first-come, first-served interconnection to a cluster-study model. The ripple effect on data-center siting has been faster and more geographic than anyone expected.
Where the traffic went
- Loudoun County, VA — saturated. New requests routed elsewhere.
- Preston + Berkeley Counties, WV — three new 500 MW campuses in the queue as of Q2.
- Columbus + Marysville, OH — two hyperscaler campuses moving up the cluster order.
FAQ: Grid
Quick answers to what readers of this article most often ask.
- For near-term energization, yes. New interconnection requests in Loudoun are being told they'll clear no earlier than 2029-2030 under current queue conditions. Campuses that need power by 2027-2028 are actively siting elsewhere.
