PJM Opens the Door to an Improved System, Vote Solar Calls for Real Action

RTO Admits Its Current System is Flawed— Leaving Room for Major Improvements 

PJM’s new President and CEO, David Mills, released a report admitting that the regional transmission operator’s system is outdated and no longer tenable. This opens the doors for actionable solutions to fix their system. PJM presented three possible routes and plans to continue developing possible solutions, saying it will include communities in the decision-making process; however, representatives of the public currently hold only 1.4% of voting power at PJM. As PJM continues to plan its new system, organizations, including Vote Solar, recommend that it expand public representation in its decisions. 

Elowyn Corby, Vote Solar’s Senior Mid-Atlantic Regional Director, issued the following statement: 

“While we are encouraged by the idea of systemic change, and applaud PJM for recognizing its necessity, the report also entertains unacceptable approaches, such as rationing reliability based on geography, customer type, or even willingness to pay a price premium; effectively turning grid stability into a commodity for the few rather than a right for all. It is up to state and local leaders to recommit to advancing proven technologies like solar and battery storage to bring new energy online quickly and enhance resilience for everyone, rather than managing a decline into scarcity.

“These decisions are not merely technical adjustments; they are deeply human decisions that impact families. Grid reliability is a public necessity that impacts our health, our comfort, our energy bills, and our climate future. Decisions of this magnitude require more than just the input of PJM’s traditional decision-makers; they require meaningful leadership and oversight from legislators, governors, and utility commissioners across the PJM region, alongside the voices of the 67 million people living in the PJM footprint. The stakes are too high for unrepresentative decisions around how the grid of the future is built.”