The PJM Interconnection began accepting applications July 31 for large generation projects that are backed by a primary siting authority and can commence operation within three years.
The Expedited Interconnection Track (EIT) is a temporary, standalone process designed to address the urgent need for more capacity resources. It was accepted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on June 9.
Through the EIT, PJM will consider up to 10 interconnection requests per calendar year in 2026 and 2027 for large new or uprated capacity resources.
To qualify, these resources must have, among other requirements, a commitment from a relevant state authority to help expedite siting – one of the hurdles many projects face after receiving PJM’s permission to connect with the grid.
A project must also offer at least 250 MW of unforced capacity, the amount credited for reliability purposes.
PJM expects the projects to execute a Generation Interconnection Agreement within 10 months of submission. Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis until the limit is reached for that calendar year. The EIT process will sunset at the end of 2027.
The EIT is one element of a multifaceted approach to address supply/demand challenges in the PJM region resulting from significant growth in the demand for electricity, particularly from data centers and other so-called “Large Load” customers.
The various elements were outlined in a Jan. 16 letter from the Board of Managers implementing a Critical Issue Fast Path process addressing the challenges associated with connecting Large Loads.
Other initiatives include:
• Reliability Backstop Procurement (RBP) and concurrent bilateral transaction facilitation to backfill the recent auction shortfall and address future needs identified in the long-term load forecast. This proposal is being filed with FERC on July 31.
• Interim Resource Adequacy Service, which will enable Large Loads to interconnect without bringing their own new capacity. However, they must reduce their load or switch to on-site backup resources under specific, limited circumstances.
• Long-term load forecast improvements
• A holistic review of the current wholesale and capacity market design, informed by the recently released Powering Reliability Through Market Design white paper.
The Board laid out its decision on how to pursue Reliability Backstop Procurement and Interim Resource Adequacy Service in a July 27 letter.
