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In a letter to PJM Interconnection, Pritzker and the governors
from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland said collaboration is
essential to accomplish a “collective vision.” The states are
asking the company to comply with a Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC) directive and coordinate with states and
stakeholders.
“While it appears that PJM intends to correct course, the
governors’ letter serves as a push to comply with FERC’s
directive and coordinate with states and stakeholders,” said
Mike Jacobs, senior energy analyst at the Union of Concerned
Scientists (UCS). “FERC’s rule directs all RTOs, including PJM,
to develop long-term plans for expanding transmission in a way
that will ensure reliability, affordability, and access to clean
energy for all.”
Jacobs said his group has pushed for strong transmission
planning rules for the past 15 years, arguing reforms are
critical to provide more communities with access to clean
energy, ensure grid reliability and enhance affordability.
In a rush to convert to clean energy, some states with Illinois
included, have been criticized for not having a plan in place
while taking coal plants offline.
“There are a lot of the coal plants that are 50 to 60 years old
and the competitive market has been very reluctant to plan for
their retirement,” said Jacobs.
Pritzker’s goal is to have 1 million electric vehicles on
Illinois roads by the year 2030, an ambitious plan considering
the charging infrastructure is not close to being able to handle
that many electric vehicles.
“It may seem obvious that we should be planning for the grid of
the future, but it simply hasn’t been happening across large
swathes of the country,” said Sam Gomberg, the manager of
transmission policy and a senior energy analyst at UCS. “This
was particularly glaring at PJM, the nation's largest grid
operator, where a failure to conduct robust long-term
transmission planning resulted in piecemeal and often inadequate
transmission system investments that ultimately raise costs for
consumers."
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