PJM has published the 2024 edition of its Regional Transmission Expansion Plan Report, which highlights the transmission projects approved by the PJM Board of Managers throughout 2024 as well as PJM’s ongoing planning efforts.
PJM’s Regional Transmission Expansion Plan (RTEP) process identifies transmission system additions and improvements needed for reliable grid operations now and in the future for the 67 million people in the PJM footprint. The report, which is produced annually, notes how PJM and its stakeholders continue to work to identify challenges and develop solutions to maintain a reliable grid amid an ongoing energy transition.
Baseline and Network Upgrades
The report discusses how PJM and its stakeholders continued to work throughout 2024 to identify challenges and craft solutions toward maintaining a reliable grid:
- PJM’s RTEP process identified 63 new baseline projects in 2024 to maintain fundamental grid reliability in the face of markedly changing regional power flows, at an estimated cost of $5.9 billion.
- 201 new network transmission projects are required to enable the reliable delivery of generation seeking to connect to the PJM system, at an estimated cost of $1.7 billion.
Continuing Load Growth
The report highlights that load growth continues to increase, driven by the proliferation of data centers, electrification of vehicles and building heating systems, as well as some resurgence in manufacturing. PJM now projects its RTO-wide summer normalized peak to grow 1.6% annually over the next 10 years, which is up 0.8% points from its 2023 forecast.
Accelerated Generator Retirements
Accelerated retirements of generators that provide necessary attributes needed to maintain reliability are outpacing the addition of new, mainly inverter-based resources. The retirements are being driven by unit age and environmental public policy. The report notes that:
- PJM received over 30 deactivation notifications totaling over 2 GW in 2024.
- Approximately 40% of new interconnection requests to the PJM grid are solar resources.
Reforms To Support Reliability
PJM faces an extreme and rapid tightening of supply and demand for capacity resources in the near term and needs additional resources to rapidly address PJM’s near‑term reliability challenges. The report highlights the key planning milestones that PJM achieved in 2024 to support grid reliability:
- Interconnection reforms that encompass a “first-ready, first‑served” cycle-based approach for new generators are allowing generator projects that are ready to proceed to do so, while incentivizing those that are not ready to proceed to exit the interconnection process. In 2024, PJM issued 307 Phase I System Impact Studies and 206 Phase II System Impact Studies as part of its reformed interconnection process.
- PJM’s Reliability Resource Initiative (RRI) has created a reliability on-ramp to Transition Cycle 2 under PJM’s interconnection process reform. RRI is a one-time procedure that will expand the eligibility criteria for Transition Cycle 2 so that additional resources may submit Generation Interconnection Requests into that transition cycle.
- PJM has implemented Surplus Interconnection Service (SIS) to expedite the unused portion of energy delivery at a given point of interconnection by a generator that cannot or does not operate continuously, every hour of every day, year-round. The expedited SIS process will allow installation of alternate generation resources to provide energy when the original generator is not otherwise doing so.
Read more about PJM’s RTEP process at the PJM website.