(Reuters) -Exelon Corp saw a 12% rise in demand from potential data center customers in the third quarter as the major U.S. electric utility pushes to change state laws barring it from developing new power plants, its executives said on Tuesday.

Big Tech's artificial intelligence expansion, which requires energy-intensive server warehouses known as data centers, is driving up U.S. electricity consumption and sending power companies scrambling to meet the demand.

The amount of data-center customers seeking to connect to Exelon's system, which spans 20 states largely in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, had grown to 19 gigawatts in the three-month period ended September 30. Nineteen gigawatts is enough to power more than 14 million homes.

Exelon and other regulated U.S. electric utilities have recently proposed building and operating their own power plants. Utilities in deregulated states are allowed to own power lines but not power generation.

"We stand ready to work with our states as they seek opportunities to address growing energy security needs in a manner that fits their goals," Exelon CEO Calvin Butler said in an earnings call with investors.

Exelon on Tuesday reported a third-quarter profit that beat Wall Street estimates, helped by higher rates for electricity and lower storm recovery costs.

The company said all its utilities delivered year-over-year earnings growth in the quarter.

The gains were driven primarily by higher regulated distribution and transmission rates, fewer storm-related disruptions than a year ago and tax benefits at some of the company's subsidiaries.

Facing a double-hit from climate change-fueled weather disruptions and the explosive growth of data centers driving electricity demand to record levels, U.S. electric utilities have been pushing to pass rising costs onto consumers through higher power bills.

Earnings at Exelon's PECO unit, Pennsylvania's largest electric and natural gas utility, more than doubled to $250 million during the third quarter. 

The company reported overall third-quarter revenue of $6.71 billion, compared with $6.15 billion in the year-earlier period.

The company reaffirmed its full-year 2025 adjusted operating profit forecast of $2.64 to $2.74 per share. Analysts were expecting $2.69 per share, according to data compiled by LSEG.

The Chicago-based company posted adjusted operating earnings of 86 cents per share for the third quarter, compared with analysts' average estimate of 78 cents per share.

Exelon shares were down about 1% at $45.73 in early afternoon trading on the Nasdaq.

(Reporting by Sumit Saha in Bengaluru and Laila Kearney in New York; Editing by Sahal Muhammed and Paul Simao)