这一价格凸显出目前美国市场上的供需错配。廉价的太阳能和风能一方面让燃煤电厂失去竞争力而退出舞台，但另一方面，不断激增的数据中心又让电力需求直线上涨。一张一缩的复合态势下，美国电网正承受着巨大压力。The annual auction of PJM electrical utilities, which has a huge influence on the United States, has ended, and this year's auction price reached a record high of $269.92 per megawatt day, an increase of 8.3 times over last year; The aging of the power grid, the retirement of coal-fired power plants, and the surge in power demand driven by datacenters jointly led the current round of price hikes on the U.S. grid auction.
On July 31, Caiflai News (Editor: Ma Lan) reported that the U.S. power grid has always had the problem of aging equipment, but when combined with the retirement of a large number of coal-fired power plants under the energy transformation trend, and the constantly emerging AI power demand, it has jointly led to the increasingly high power prices.
According to the annual auction results released on Tuesday by grid operator PJM Interconnection LLC, power plants that provide power to 13 states' grids from New Jersey to Illinois will receive a record $269.92/megawatt day from utility companies for the next year (one megawatt day is equivalent to 0.024 million kilowatt-hours). This is more than eight times higher than last year's auction price of $28.92.
This price highlights the supply-demand mismatch in the current U.S. market. On the one hand, cheap solar and wind energy have made coal-fired power plants lose competitiveness and exit the stage, but on the other hand, the surging demand for power from datacenters has led to a straight rise in electricity demand, creating a complex situation of expansion and contraction, putting tremendous pressure on the U.S. power grid.
Power market analyst Paul Patterson of Glenrock Associates said that the market has responded and it wants reliable power supply, for which it is willing to pay more.
Soaring power prices
The PJM auction provides an important source of income for power plants in many states in the United States, and also affects the power structure in most parts of the United States. Its contracts with power companies are designed to ensure that the generating units of power plants can always provide services to the power grid, with power users ultimately paying for it.
According to S&P Global data, the average household electricity price in the United States increased by 21.9% from 2018 to 2023, with Maine experiencing the highest increase of 65.6%.
PJM market services and strategic executive vice president Stu Bresler said he does believe higher prices will represent clear investment signals, meaning power companies need to ensure that existing resources are not shut down and are willing to build more new resources.
The latest PJM auction also considered extreme weather factors, such as reducing expenditures for natural gas power plants, which often face reduced power generation during winter storms. This new change has also served as a catalyst for overall price increases.
In terms of regions, power prices in two areas hit the upper limit due to resource shortages and grid capacity constraints. Baltimore Gas and Electric Company's power price rose to $466.35 per megawatt day, while the power company in the data hub of Virginia saw its power price rise to $444.26 per megawatt day.
According to estimates by the Boston Consulting Group, the demand for datacenters in the United States is growing by 15-20% annually, and by 2030, it will account for 16% of U.S. electricity consumption, equivalent to the total electricity consumption of approximately two-thirds of U.S. households.
