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PJM Board Outline a Series of Actions To Address Data Centers & Large Loads Onto Grid; Orders Emergency Backstop Generation Procurement Process & Other Long Term Corrective Actions
In a press release PJM outlines plans to integrate large loads reliably.
“The PJM Board of Managers today outlined a series of actions to be taken by PJM and its stakeholders in 2026 to address the multiple challenges of integrating new data centers and other large load customers onto the grid while preserving electricity system reliability and affordability for the 67 million people PJM serves.”
The plan detailed by the Board includes:
- proposals to be filed directly with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) ;
- changes in PJM’s policies and procedures that can be made immediately; and
- proposed stakeholder processes to inform the Board on complex but equally urgent issues.
The Board’s course of action will address the need for new power generation that can come online quickly and is coupled with options for new load customers whose electricity demand can be curtailed in times of system need. Both of these goals will also help address the supply-and-demand imbalance that has the potential to threaten grid reliability and is currently driving up wholesale costs that can impact consumer bills.
The Board proposes:
- Significant load forecasting improvements and increased role for states
- Avenues for new large loads to bring their own new generation or enter into a connect and manage framework subject to earlier curtailment
- Creation of an accelerated interconnection track for state-sponsored generation projects
- Immediate initiation of a backstop generation procurement process to address short-term reliability needs
- A review of PJM markets to assess how they can best work in combination to support investment
The Board also seeks additional feedback from stakeholders on this issue and requests that responses address the questions set forth in Appendix D as soon as practicable, but before January 30, 2026. Please send responses to these questions via this link. All feedback will be posted publicly on the CIFP LLA webpage. After review of the feedback, the Board will issue an additional letter discussing its decision to make a Federal Power Act (FPA) Section 205 filing related to the price collar, or not, in time for the July auction (2028/2029 Delivery Year).
