After four years of not accepting new interconnection requests, a flood of new generation is asking PJM to connect to the grid.
PJM received 811 interconnection requests, which would collectively add 220 gigawatts to the grid — reflecting a large amount of pent-up demand to connect to the grid during the four years that the grid operator paused interconnection requests.
“These numbers represent significant interest from developers resulting from strong market signals, and our reformed process is designed to prioritize viable projects that can move to construction and operations with greater speed and certainty,” PJM interim President David Mills said in a statement.
A quick recap: PJM started to reform its interconnection process in 2020, closing its queue in 2022 to new requests. Since then, the grid operator has been working through a yearslong backlog of requests while reforming its process for interconnection requests. PJM processed more than 300 GW of projects, with 103 GW of projects that signed interconnection agreements. Only 23 GW are in service today. Nearly three-quarters of all of those projects were voluntarily withdrawn.
