HARRISBURG – In a letter to the PJM Interconnection Board of Managers, Sen. Gene Yaw (R-23), chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, urged the regional transmission organization to resolve governance issues and refocus its attention on the growing need for new generation, transmission and reliable, affordable power.
“Pennsylvania is ready, willing and able to support the generation growth necessary to power our economic future,” Yaw said. “PJM needs to focus its resources on clearing the generation queue, integrating new large loads, restoring market price signals and building the transmission infrastructure needed to support new growth. We cannot afford to lose sight of the real challenge: making sure there is enough power to keep up with demand.”
Yaw noted that rapid load growth, driven in large part by the expansion of data centers without their own power supply, is occurring as reserve margins shrink and regulatory constraints continue to create challenges for the PJM system.
The PJM region serves approximately 67 million people across 13 states and the District of Columbia. Pennsylvania has long been a major energy supplier to the region, exporting reliable, dispatchable power while maintaining critical infrastructure needed to keep the lights on.
In his letter, Yaw expressed concerns over Gov. Josh Shapiro’s position on the Federal Power Act Section 205 filing rights, which could lead to costly litigation and divert attention and resources from the more pressing need to increase generation capacity. Yaw wrote that diverting time and capital into litigating an unworkable governance mandate will not build a single megawatt of capacity.
More than 200 gigawatts of generation capacity currently sit in the PJM queue, with over 20% of that capacity located in Pennsylvania. Yaw said the challenge is not a shortage of generation projects, but a lack of regulatory and market clarity needed to move those projects forward.
Yaw also pointed to governance reforms that have already achieved broad consensus through negotiation and compromise, including changes involving the PJM Board Nominating Committee, Board structure and stakeholder process. He urged PJM to move forward with those agreed-upon reforms rather than becoming mired in prolonged litigation.
CONTACT: Elizabeth Weitzel
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