PJM, the regional grid operator, is considering ride-through standards after 3.8 gigawatts of Northern Virginia data-center load tripped offline.

PJM Interconnection is considering reliability requirements after 3.8 gigawatts of data-center load tripped offline in Northern Virginia. The event occurred on July 22, 2026.

PJM described the incident as the latest and largest event of its kind in the grid operator’s history. The 3.8-gigawatt figure refers to electricity demand that disconnected, not lost generation capacity.

The operator is considering “ride-through” standards intended to govern how loads respond during grid disturbances. The broader standards discussion identified in the article covers both data centers and cryptocurrency-related loads.