Governors in states in the PJM Interconnection footprint on Sept. 26 announced the launch of the PJM Governors Collaborative, a new bipartisan forum that will allow governors across PJM’s 13 states to act collectively on issues of grid governance, energy affordability, and market reform.
“The Collaborative will ensure that elected leaders representing the 67 million people PJM serves have a greater voice in decisions that affect household energy bills and grid reliability,” a news release posted on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s website said.
In launching the Collaborative, the governors signed a joint statement of intent “to promote greater state and consumer representation in the governance and decision-making processes of PJM Interconnection, in order to ensure the provision of affordable, safe, and reliable electricity for their residents and businesses.”
At a recent summit in Philadelphia, more than 450 stakeholders from across PJM gathered in Philadelphia gathered to address rising energy costs, grid reliability, and PJM’s governance issues, the news release noted.
Shapiro opened the Summit by warning that if PJM fails to act decisively, Pennsylvania and other states may be forced to consider alternatives to the current PJM grid.
Governor Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, Governor Wes Moore of Maryland, and Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey also addressed the Summit, advocating for reform to PJM’s governance structure and markets.
The summit also served as a launching pad for three major reforms, which will be the subject of future discussions among the PJM Governors Collaborative:
• Improved load forecasting “to remove speculative projects that inflate prices but are unlikely to be built;”
• A bifurcated PJM auction “capping prices for existing power plants while allowing new plants to receive higher rates, ensuring reliability without excessive costs:”
• Governance changes “to give states and their citizens a stronger voice, including through the new Governors’ Collaborative.”
The PJM Governors’ Collaborative will continue meeting after the Summit to develop and advance shared proposals for reform.
