Amazon got the green light from FERC to plug a massive data center into Pennsylvania's grid, but regulators are worried they might be setting a dangerous precedent. (Utility Dive)
The rubber stamp: FERC approved the deal using the “Mobile-Sierra” doctrine, which essentially assumes that if two massive corporations (Amazon and PECO) agree on a price, it must be fair—ignoring calls from the market monitor to dig deeper into how it affects average ratepayers.
Commissioner Judy Chang signed off but issued a sharp warning: Relying on these private, one-off contracts creates a jurisdictional “silo” where neither state nor federal officials are fully protecting existing customers from footing the bill for Big Tech's infrastructure.
The bigger picture: With 60+ similar large-load deals in the pipeline nationwide, Chang is urging the commission to stop outsourcing its job to private contracts and establish clear rules to prevent cost-shifting.