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How PJM can quickly add cost-saving new generation by improving the path for “energy-only” resources to connect to the grid.
Rapid load growth is putting tremendous pressure on PJM, the regional transmission organization covering 13 states and Washington, D.C., to deliver necessary power while maintaining affordability and reliability. This demand surge has collided with a constrained transmission grid and a slow generator interconnection process (which PJM is making efforts to address).
Fortunately, PJM can quickly add cost-saving new generation by improving the path for “energy-only” resources to connect to the grid. Recent conversations surrounding fast, flexible load interconnection highlight a broader principle: whether connecting load or generation, faster connection can be offered in exchange for modest operational curtailment, and the interconnection process can be streamlined accordingly.
While capacity price spikes and the need for “firm capacity” have dominated headlines and PJM-led interventions to date, the reality is that energy prices remain the largest share of electricity bills. Energy market prices were up 50% in 2025 compared to 2024, driven by factors such as higher gas prices and higher demand, which results in the dispatch of less efficient, higher-cost generators.
