PJM's Fast Track Picks 51 Projects, and Gas Takes Most of the 9,361 MW

PJM has picked the projects it will rush through its interconnection process to meet demand that is arriving faster than new generation. On May 2 the grid operator said it had selected 51 projects under its Reliability Resource Initiative, a one-time opportunity for shovel-ready resources with short lead times. Together they would add 9,361 MW of unforced capacity. Most, 90%, are expected online by 2030, and all by 2031. The list says a great deal about what PJM thinks can be built quickly.

The 51 projects consist of 39 uprates of existing plants and 12 new construction proposals. PJM's table, reported in summer megawatts of energy, gives the fuel split. Gas, in other words, provides about two thirds of the energy megawatts. PJM's release states the problem plainly: as new generation comes online more efficiently through its reforms, the demand for electricity and the retirement of generators continue to outpace new additions. The RRI projects will be studied in the final transition phase of PJM's interconnection reform.

In addition to the RRI projects, PJM will complete processing of about 62,000 MW of projects in 2025 and 2026. PJM listed other steps: more automation and staffing that it says have reduced the backlog by 60%, a multiyear collaboration with Google announced on April 10 to use AI tools in interconnection planning, FERC-approved surplus interconnection service that lets a battery be added to an existing site using unused capacity, and a pending reform to let replacement resources use the interconnection rights of retiring plants.

The RRI is a one-time program and its scale is modest against the forecast. PJM also points to the gap between clearing its studies and actual construction. For data center developers and the utilities serving them, the RRI list is a guide to what the next five years of new supply in PJM will look like.