The head of PJM Interconnection, the nation’s largest regional power grid, said Monday he plans to resign at the end of the year, as Democratic governors direct much of the blame for rising electricity prices at PJM’s leadership.
Manu Asthana, PJM’s chief executive, will remain an adviser to the PJM board through June 2026. “The time has now come for my wife and me to move back to be closer to our family and friends in Texas,” Asthana said in a statement.
His departure after more than five years in the position comes at a critical time for the Valley Forge, Pennsylvania-based organization, which runs the power market serving more than 65 million people across 13 states and the District of Columbia. PJM stretches from Chicago to the mid-Atlantic region.
PJM is struggling to meet the energy needs of data centers and electrification across the economy as older coal- and natural-gas-fired power plants close. Asthana and others have warned the region could face power shortages as early as the next few years unless more electricity generation is brought online.
