Congressional Leaders Demand PJM Take Action to Address Skyrocketing Energy Bills

Congressman Don Beyer led 21 U.S. Representatives in demanding that PJM Interconnection take key steps to address skyrocketing energy bills for American households. The Members stressed that PJM must use current information and technologies, particularly on batteries and Alternative Transmission Technologies (ATTs), to fully comply with FERC Order 2023 and lower energy costs. The letter, addressed to PJM Interconnection's President and CEO, highlights the stark increases in electricity rates facing constituents, with some districts experiencing rate hikes above 20 percent.

Key Takeaways:

• The letter was signed by 21 U.S. Representatives, including Congressman Don Beyer, representing districts within the PJM Interconnection service territory.
• The Members demand that PJM use current information and technologies to comply with FERC Order 2023 and lower energy costs.
• PJM's interconnection queue is reportedly the most backlogged in the country, with the average project waiting several years for an interconnection agreement.
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that PJM's neglect to support planning and building sufficient new transmission lines resulted in sky-high network upgrade costs for each project in the queue.
• FERC rejected parts of PJM's compliance filing for Order No. 2023, citing charging assumptions and high grid upgrade costs for battery storage projects and consideration of ATTs.
• The Members agree with FERC's finding and request that PJM fully address these compliance gaps in its refiling, due October 22 of this year.
• PJM must consider all enumerated ATTs for all projects and report transparently on their evaluation, as ATTs can provide substantial benefits due to their quicker deployment and lower costs compared to traditional network upgrades.
• The letter urges PJM to pursue deeper interconnection reforms to bring much-needed capacity online quickly and to achieve 1-2 year interconnection study timelines.

Statistics:

• More than 20 U.S. Representatives signed the letter, representing districts within the PJM Interconnection service territory.
• The average project in PJM's interconnection queue is waiting several years for an interconnection agreement.
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that PJM's interconnection queue is the most backlogged in the country.
• FERC rejected parts of PJM's compliance filing for Order No. 2023, citing compliance gaps.
• PJM's Energy Only Interconnection Service pathway is slower than other grid operators' "connect and manage" techniques.

Sources:

• Office of Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) press release
• PJM Interconnection service territory information
• FERC Order 2023 and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory report
• Letter signed by 21 U.S. Representatives