The PJM Interconnection is the operator of the largest power grid in the U.S. PJM coordinates the movement of electricity through all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. This private corporation manages energy markets that have a significant impact on the power bills paid by 65 million people.
The general idea is good— large grids and large markets save us money. But, the execution is sometimes flawed since the companies (utilities mostly) that sell the product (electricity) actually own the company (PJM) that sets the market rules for what we pay for transmission. Read that again. Crazy stuff…
Every day PJM forces us to pay for more electricity than we use. That’s because their members, like coal and gas companies, urge them to buy more than we need.
A Cheaper, Cleaner Grid Needs Action
Solar and wind projects, meanwhile, wait up to 5 years to get connected to the grid— and our homes. So project costs go up while the planet, and our lungs, suffer.
Worst, PJM has the power of a government but is a private corporation. Board meetings are behind closed doors and many decisions can’t be appealed. Too often the powerful (and power companies) are appeased. Let’s help them do better.
We get it. Running a grid for 65 million people is hard and PJM does a lot of things right. But keeping the lights on shouldn’t come at excess cost to us or the planet.
Let’s work to make the grid better.
