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PJM tells Maryland committee the grid is under strain, urges states to speed permitting and require data‑center reliability measures
Summary
PJM Interconnection told the Environment and Transportation Committee the regional grid hit about 140 GW and is operating under emergency conditions; PJM urged Maryland lawmakers to avoid policies that retire resources prematurely, speed permitting for new generation and transmission, and consider requiring data centers to provide on‑site generation or financial deposits.
Jason Stanek, executive director of PJM Interconnection, told the Environment and Transportation Committee on Feb. 5 that the regional grid was “under tremendous stress” during a cold snap and that “we're operating under emergency conditions.” Stanek said PJM hit roughly 140 gigawatts of demand that morning and that nearly every available plant that could produce electricity was running.
PJM, which operates the grid for 13 states and the District of Columbia, told lawmakers the operator has about 181 gigawatts of resources on its system in a perfect‑availability scenario but that retirements have outpaced new additions. Stanek said Maryland has retired about 6,000 megawatts of thermal generation while adding roughly 1,600 megawatts, a gap that contributes to resource adequacy concerns.
Why it matters: PJM spans 21% of U.S. GDP and routes power across state lines; shortfalls or…
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