PJM Interconnection

#ICYMI - PJM Introduces Interim Interconnection Process for Reliability https://lnkd.in/e5Du_W3d

A group of PJM employees, several longtime AABE Philadelphia Chapter leaders, will participate in a youth career day event Oct. 26 for Black Energy Awareness Month. The event provides an opportunity for students in grades 9 through 12 to learn more about careers in energy and other STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields and will take place at PECO’s offices in Philadelphia.   Learn more and register at https://lnkd.in/eBzZJCZX

PJM held its 2024 Security Symposium on Oct. 15, focusing on the critical topics of safeguarding our electric grid and enhancing situational awareness. The symposium was a hybrid event, featuring both in-person and virtual participation, and drew 175 attendees. The event was moderated by Steven McElwee, Vice President, Chief Security Officer; Scott Heffentrager, CPP, Executive Director, Physical Security, BCP & Facility Services; and Susan Buehler, Chief Communications Officer. Participants included cyber and physical security professionals from PJM’s member companies, government partners, ISOs/RTOs affiliates and PJM employees. The event provided a platform for these experts to share insights and strategies essential for maintaining the security and resilience of our energy infrastructure. Key speakers at the symposium included: - Arielle Baine, Chief of Cybersecurity, Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency - Ashley Bleacher, Intelligence Analyst Supervisor, Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation - Gregory Davidson, Protective Security Advisor, Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency - Matt Duncan, Vice President, Security Operations and Intelligence, Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC) - Zachary Fuller, Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation - Douglas Jackson, Intelligence Analyst, Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation - Jin Kim, Founder and Principal Practitioner of the PerSec Academy & Advisory Group LLC The symposium underscored the importance of collaboration and knowledge-sharing among industry and government stakeholders to enhance the security of critical infrastructure. The hybrid format allowed for broader participation and engagement, ensuring that vital information and best practices were accessible to a diverse audience. Overall, the 2024 Security Symposium effectively reinforced the commitment by PJM and its stakeholders to security and resilience in the energy sector.

Aftab Khan, PJM Interconnection Executive Vice President – Operations, Planning & Security, testified Oct. 16 about maintaining resource adequacy amid growing demand and operational complexity before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s annual Reliability Technical Conference. In the past, capacity auctions seamlessly facilitated the PJM generation fleet transition from mostly coal to natural gas as a result of EPA’s Mercury and Air Toxics rule, Khan said in his written testimony. That transition has resulted in a dramatic reduction of emissions from generators in PJM since 2005. Today, the latest transition to lower-carbon resources, such as wind and solar, is complicated by changes in the technology and fuel of the generation mix; unprecedented growth in electricity demand, or load; government policies that are driving both generator retirements and new renewable and storage resources; and external hurdles to progress, such as supply chain bottlenecks. Read more at PJM Inside Lines. https://lnkd.in/eNJeUuYH

PJM Interconnection and its members have adequate resources to serve the forecasted demand for electricity this winter under expected conditions, although reserve margins continue to shrink with continued generator retirements and increasing demand. PJM, the grid operator for 13 states and the District of Columbia, expects to have approximately 179,800 MW of resources to meet the forecasted peak demand of approximately 141,200 MW, plus a forecast average of about 5,500 MW of electricity exports to neighboring systems. The system should also remain reliable under several more extreme and less likely scenarios involving lower levels of gas and/or renewable generation, higher electricity demand or increased exports, but extreme weather scenarios may require the use of emergency procedures. “The PJM system is reliable today, but we are keenly aware of the challenges we face as system reserves continue to erode,” said PJM President and CEO Manu Asthana. “The trends we are seeing raise system risk under the kind of extreme weather we have seen over the past few years.” PJM remains concerned that increasing demand, ongoing generator retirements and the slow pace of new projects coming online are tightening reserves. Since Winter Storm Elliott in December 2022, forecasted winter peak demand has risen by over 4,000 MW, while the number of thermal generation resources have decreased. Read more at PJM Inside Lines. https://lnkd.in/ecGDndYW

PJM extended the Geomagnetic Disturbance Warning it issued the morning of Oct. 10 to 2 p.m. on Oct. 11 while also temporarily issuing a less common GMD Action overnight in response to an increase in intensity of solar activity. Read more at PJM Inside Lines. https://lnkd.in/eqy9Ksfq

A PJM report published on Oct. 11 refutes the IMM’s recent report on the Base Residual Auction for the 2025/2026 Delivery Year. Specifically, PJM concludes that the IMM’s recent report presents contradictory, incomplete, and unsupported or incorrect conclusions. Issues highlighted by PJM in its response are: - The IMM’s analysis of the impact of Effective Load Carrying Capability (ELCC) implementation fails to differentiate between the effects of the changes in risk modeling framework and the change in accreditation framework. The move to marginal ELCC accreditation is becoming an industry standard approach that aligns capacity valuation with marginal reliability contributions. - The IMM’s allegation of market power exercise through withholding of exempt resources lacks sufficient evidence and analysis. PJM urges the IMM to provide supporting data for this serious claim if it is available. - While PJM agrees there may be additional winter thermal capacity available, the IMM’s analysis of this issue oversimplifies the matter and fails to account for important limitations including deliverability constraints. - The IMM’s recommendation on including Reliability Must-Run (RMR) resources in the capacity supply curve is inconsistent with their own recent positions and fails to consider critical issues around RMR agreement obligations. Further, PJM remains concerned that forcing RMR units into the supply stack as a matter of policy could put downward pressure on the capacity price signal at the very time that new capacity is needed. Finally, PJM analysis shows that the recent auction would have cleared at the market cap across the PJM footprint (rather than in only two areas within the footprint) if core market changes recommended by the IMM had been implemented less than a year ago. In contrast, the IMM’s report on auction results ignores some of its own recent recommendations. These contradictions pose a serious credibility challenge. Read more at PJM Inside Lines. https://lnkd.in/ePytEaWk

PJM issued a warning Oct. 10 that a possible geomagnetic disturbance (GMD) could impact the PJM system through 2 a.m. on Oct. 11. The warning was in effect as of 11:41 a.m. Eastern Oct. 10 in response to a NERC warning based on a notice from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the arm of NASA responsible for tracking space weather. PJM’s warning follows established protocols with members to mitigate any potential disruption to the system from geomagnetic induced currents, or GICs. PJM does not expect major impacts to the system at this time. Read more at PJM Inside Lines. https://lnkd.in/eqy9Ksfq

PJM’s Corporate Communications team was glad to welcome our counterparts from the grid operators across the continent Wednesday for the annual meeting of the ISO/RTO Council’s Communications Committee. By sharing innovative ideas, real-world best practices and lessons learned from major events, IRC members work together to build a smarter and more efficient electric grid that’s well-prepared to serve the North American power market and its consumers. In addition to PJM, the IRC is made up of AESO, California ISO, ERCOT, Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), ISO New England Inc., Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), NYISO and Southwest Power Pool.

PJM briefed stakeholders Tuesday (Oct. 8) on the 2024 Regional Transmission Expansion Plan Window 1, which closed Sept. 17. Sami Abdulsalam, Director – Transmission Planning, updated the Transmission Expansion Advisory Committee (TEAC) with an overview of the major needs targeted by the RTEP window and details of the various projects proposed to meet them. The planning window addresses needs driven by accelerated load growth in various areas of the region PJM serves, generator resource mix changes, and resulting changes to regional flows. The forecasted load growth is driven by data center load additions and the electrification of vehicles and building heating and cooling systems. The needs in this window focus on strengthening the transmission paths between the western and eastern regions of PJM in addition to solving more local transmission improvements across the PJM footprint. Read more at PJM Inside Lines. https://lnkd.in/e9MZXc-9