Data centers strain power and parts

Northern Illinois could need twice as much electricity by 2040 if projects in ComEd’s pipeline get built, with data centers driving much of the jump. (nprillinois.org) At an Illinois House Executive Committee hearing in April 2026, Illinois Power Agency director Brian Granahan said the customer connection queue now holds more demand than utilities “traditionally had on the system, period.” ComEd’s Max Leichtman said requested demand in its pipeline would “more than double” the utility’s system peak by about 2040 if projects reach maximum load. (nprillinois.org) ComEd told lawmakers most of its large-load projects are data centers, though not all of them, and Leichtman said the load would likely arrive in stages through 2040 or 2045 rather than all at once. Illinois is holding a third hearing as lawmakers weigh how to add supply and manage the queue. (nprillinois.org) A connector is the plug or socket that carries power, data, or both between machines. Market researchers at Research and Markets said the global connector market would grow from $90.87 billion in 2025 to $95.72 billion in 2026, with telecom expansion, automotive electrification, and industrial demand among the drivers. (researchandmarkets.com) That demand reaches into data-center construction because servers, switchgear, cooling gear, backup power systems, and network equipment all use connectors and related electrical hardware. The same 2026 market report said growth is also being pushed by higher-speed data transmission, denser electronics, and more modular designs. (researchandmarkets.com) Illinois regulators have already moved to keep some of the risk off households and small businesses. On March 20, 2026, the Illinois Commerce Commission approved higher deposit requirements for large-load projects such as data centers and opened a broader investigation into how ComEd should handle cost and reliability risks tied to those customers. (icc.illinois.gov) Outside analysts have put large numbers on the same strain. A 2025 Synapse Energy Economics study prepared for Sierra Club and the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition said ComEd had described 14 gigawatts of data-center projects in its queue, and Synapse modeled an $18 billion increase in ComEd system costs from 2025 to 2040 in its data-center case. (synapse-energy.com) PJM, the grid operator for ComEd’s region, also raised its long-term outlook in its January 24, 2025 load forecast, saying its summer peak across the broader PJM footprint could climb by about 70,000 megawatts over 15 years to 220,000 megawatts. That regional forecast is larger than Illinois alone, but it shows the same problem utilities are describing: big new loads are arriving faster than the grid was built to serve them. (pjm.com; pjm.com) For industrial buyers, the immediate issue is less one missing part than many categories tightening at once: connectors, switchgear, transformers, cables, and backup-power equipment all sit in the same buildout chain. If data-center developers keep reserving large blocks of power and hardware, other customers will be competing in a busier market with longer planning windows. (nprillinois.org; researchandmarkets.com; icc.illinois.gov)