But even with their expressed good will, getting the companies to make consumers whole will not be easy because determining how much large users like data centers should pay is not straightforward.
The business of keeping America’s lights on is mostly about two things: supplying reliable electricity and figuring out what to charge to deliver it. In recent years, big tech companies have inserted themselves into debates over both. They lobby lawmakers and regulators, and they are pitching their own pricing schemes to challenge those of utilities — something that would have been unthinkable a few years ago.
That has led to growing tensions.
The utilities pay for grid projects over decades, typically by raising prices for everyone connected to the grid. But suddenly, technology companies want to build so many data centers that utilities are being asked to spend a lot more money a lot faster. Lawmakers, regulators and consumer groups fear that households and smaller companies could be stuck footing these mounting bills.
For utilities, working with technology companies can be difficult but also lucrative.
States allow utilities to charge customers enough to recoup their costs and make money for shareholders based on how much they invest. New data centers require utilities to spend billions of dollars on power lines and plants, which should lead to bigger profits for the utilities over time.
“My No. 1 priority in all of this is to keep the lights on,” said Calvin Butler, the chief executive of Exelon, a large utility company, and the chairman of Edison Electric Institute, an industry association. “I think the tech companies’ being engaged in our industry makes this a very exciting time. Just pay your fair share of the grid.”