Regional power and siting hub
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia is a mature data-center market where the practical constraint is the sequence between forecast demand, transmission planning, utility delivery and site energization. PJM’s load-forecast process incorporates utility submissions and adjustments; its 2026 supplement separately identifies the Dominion zone adjustment associated with data-center forecasts from NOVEC, ODEC and Rappahannock Electric Cooperative. That evidence is a planning input, not a count of operating AI facilities or firm power awards. Developers should compare forecast revisions with approved network work, substation milestones and utility service commitments. Capacity owners benefit from deliverable power; projects depending on uncommitted upgrades remain exposed to schedule changes.
Constraint to resolve
The timing gap between forecast load, transmission work, utility construction and a customer’s energization date.
What to watch
- PJM load-forecast revisions and the assumptions behind utility adjustments
- Transmission and substation milestones tied to the relevant service territory
- Whether a project has a utility commitment rather than only a forecast or request