The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved the Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) PJM Interconnections proposal for an expedited interconnection track for large generation projects, in part to meet skyrocketing energy demand from the data center market.
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Under the newly approved process, PJM will consider up to ten interconnection requests every year on a fast-track basis. The projects will need to have a capacity of at least 250MW and be able to come online within three years. The process is slated to last until the end of 2027.
“The EIT proposal will help address PJM’s near-term resource adequacy needs by establishing a separate, time-limited, expedited interconnection process for a limited number of resources that are able to bring significant capacity onto the system in the near-term,” FERC said.
The moves come as PJM grapples to meet huge power demand across its 13-state footprint. The RTO submitted the proposed new track in October. The projects can be of any fuel type, including battery storage systems, and must be sponsored by a state within the PJM coverage area. The first projects could be announced in October.
