The PJM Interconnection is one of several Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) that coordinate the movement of wholesale electricity in the United States. PJM covers at least parts of 13 states—Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia—and the District of Columbia.
Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability is working with energy and air regulators in PJM states to sort through rapid change in the electricity sector driven by factors like historically low natural gas prices, dramatic reductions in the cost of renewable energy, and new and evolving environmental regulations.
Discussions hosted by the Nicholas Institute consider state policies, and how those policies interact with the wholesale electricity market. Regionalization of the electric grid and development of interstate markets for electricity, electric capacity, and transmission development have expanded the responsibilities of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) even as states have retained jurisdiction over generation facilities and retail markets. This has created boundary disputes, with some states opposing market rules that limit their ability to choose how their electricity is generated, and some market participants charging that state policies, such as mandates for renewables and incentives for existing nuclear energy to remain in operation, are threatening market fundamentals. The Nicholas Institute offers state workshops, webinars, and conferences where states and stakeholders can learn from one another, and find common ground on these evolving issues.
