FirstEnergy, AEP detail process, timelines and risks for connecting large data‑center loads in West Virginia

Jim Myers, president of West Virginia and Maryland operations for FirstEnergy, and Robert Bradish, senior vice president for regulated infrastructure investment planning at American Electric Power, told the West Virginia Public Energy Authority that utilities are prepared to work with very large electricity customers — notably hyperscale data centers — but that connecting them requires time, coordination and contractual protections.

Myers said FirstEnergy is working on five large data‑center projects in West Virginia “which represents about 1,650 megawatts, of load that they're looking for.” He and his colleagues described a staged interconnection process that begins with early engagement and conceptual studies and can move through detailed engineering and a signed construction agreement.

The utilities laid out the typical steps a prospective large customer will face: an initial conceptual or “connectability” assessment; a detailed engineering study that includes cost and timing; a formal interconnection study with PJM; and, if the customer proceeds, a construction agreement obligating the customer to pay long‑lead equipment and construction milestones. Greg Hussing, FirstEnergy’s director for FERC and RTO technical services, summarized the customer interaction: “I want to call it a customer engagement or customer partnership when we're working with a large customer, large load.”

Why it matters

Large, continuous loads change how utilities plan and operate the grid. Utilities said these customers typically have high load factors (often 90% or higher) and can require…