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PJM Announces It Will Not Proceed with Reliability Backstop Procurement
PJM announced that it will not proceed with the Reliability Backstop Procurement on September 30th as originally planned. All timeline milestones previously communicated for the RBP will be reviewed and communicated to stakeholders at a later date.
PJM will provide a brief administrative update at the upcoming Market Implementation Committee meeting scheduled for October 7, 2026.
As reported previously on September 29, 2026 FERC issued an order (PDF) accepting PJM’s proposed Reliability Backstop Procurement (RBP) to secure additional power supply to address short-term reliability concerns. Note that FERC suspended the date for five months with an effective date of February 28, 2027, subject to refund and outcome of additional proceedings.
PJM issued the following statement following FERC’s order:
“PJM welcomes FERC’s acceptance of our reliability backstop procurement proposal and shares the Commission’s recognition of the urgent need to address the capacity shortfall facing the PJM region. While FERC identified three discrete issues requiring further consideration, the Commission also provided a clear path to resolving those issues expeditiously and moving the procurement forward.
PJM is reviewing the order and intends to work quickly to address the Commission’s remaining concerns. We remain focused on advancing solutions that maintain reliability, appropriately allocate costs to the customers driving those costs, and protect consumers as the region navigates significant demand growth. As a result, the RBP process will not begin on Sept. 30 based on the requirements of FERC’s order. Actual timing is to be determined.”
