PJM aims to accelerate reliability projects in the connection queue

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The PJM Interconnection unveiled a plan Tuesday that allows for a limited number of power generation projects that could meet reliability requirements Start a fraternity study cycle early next year.

The “Reliability Resources InitiativeAccording to Donnie Bielak, PJM director of interconnection planning, this is in response to unprecedented demand growth forecasts coupled with the slow start-up of new power plants and the threat of generator retirements.

“We have to do something, and we have to do it now,” Bielak said Tuesday during a PJM Planning Board meeting.

The proposal comes as PJM clears a backlog of interconnection requests that have been put on hold and are currently under review a three-pronged transition process to a fully reformed interconnection study framework. PJM plans to begin considering new interconnection requests under its reformed process by mid-2026.

According to Bielak, PJM is finalizing generator interconnection agreements for its “fast track” interconnection review with a capacity of around 24.5 GW and is in the second phase of its 26.2 GW transition cycle 1. On December 17, the window for Eligible projects that can enter the Transition Cycle 2 process with around 96.2 GW.

Projects in the three divisions are heavily focused on solar energy, noted Bielak. “If you look at it from an operational standpoint, you're putting all your eggs in one basket, so to speak, and what we want to do is really try to diversify… so to speak, hedge our position to get as much.” online as possible to meet upcoming reliability requirements,” he said.

If PJM's Reliability Resources Initiative moves forward and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approves it, the grid operator would allow eligible projects to enter the TC2 study process early next year to be considered along with all other interconnection applications eligible for that track, Bielak said . PJM does not want to do anything that would delay the TC2 process, which could lead to delays in testing new interconnection applications in 2026, he said.

The proposal to funnel resources into the TC2 study process “will most likely only apply to very, very select (projects),” Bielak said. “We don’t want to do this at the expense of all other projects, especially those currently eligible for TC2.”

In its “fuel agnostic” framework, PJM is considering an eligibility requirement that requires projects to meet effective carrying capacity or unconstrained capacity thresholds, Bielak said during the presentation. In addition, the projects would have to be online on certain dates.

PJM plans to submit a straw proposal a planning committee meeting on October 18thfollowed by discussion at a meeting of the Markets and Reliability Committee on October 30. PJM plans to submit an application for FERC approval in mid-December. The plan is supported by PJM leadership and the grid operator intends to file with FERC unilaterally and without a stakeholder approval process, Bielak said.

Some PJM stakeholders expressed concerns about the proposal.

“It is unfair, unreasonable and extremely discriminatory towards the generators that are in the queue, particularly the renewable generators,” some of which have been in PJM’s queue for years. Omar MartinoInvenergy ethe deputy vice president for markets and regulation said at the meeting.

The proposal represents a “sweetheart deal” for some generators and contradicts open access principles, Martino said. According to Martino, it could lead to intense litigation at FERC and end up in court.

“I think that this proposal, unless it really changes significantly, is going to cause a lot more confusion, a lot more chaos and a lot more uncertainty for many years to come,” Martino said.