RICHMOND, VA — A coalition of 34 groups from across the mid-Atlantic region today released a letter announcing their united opposition to a new proposal by PJM Interconnection, LLC (PJM) that could fast-track natural gas projects in the regional interconnection queue. The coalition, which represents hundreds of thousands of environmental and clean energy activists in the PJM region, delivered the letter to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Willie Phillips, PJM Board Chairman Mark Takahashi, and three other leaders at FERC and PJM.
The PJM Board of Managers is currently considering whether or not to allow for expedited interconnection approval for certain resources, including natural gas, a move that threatens to exacerbate the climate crisis while sidelining renewable energy solutions essential to grid reliability and climate goals. The PJM Board will issue their final decision on Thursday, November 21.
“PJM’s unnecessary logjams have left hundreds of clean energy projects delayed in the interconnection queue for multiple years. To now fast-track fossil fuel projects ahead of clean energy projects means further delays for these projects who have waited long enough,” said Quentin Scott, Federal Director at Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “These projects can deliver reliable, low-cost energy while reducing emissions and addressing the urgent need for climate action.”
The letter is signed by environmental groups and clean energy industry representatives from Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and more. Signatories include Advance Maryland, CASA, Center for Progressive Reform, Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVa), Maryland Energy Advocates Coalition, Maryland Legislative Coalition, New Virginia Majority, PennFuture, Virginia League of Conservation Voters, Virginia Sierra Club and dozens of others. Their letter highlights these key concerns:
- Reliability Misconceptions: During extreme weather events like Winter Storm Elliott, natural gas and coal plants proved highly unreliable. PJM’s own analysis shows that hybridized clean energy resources, such as solar-plus-storage, provide greater reliability during peak demand periods.
- Queue Bottlenecking: With over 90% of the 287 GW of resources in PJM’s interconnection queue coming from renewables, fast-tracking gas projects would further delay these essential clean energy sources.
- Economic and Environmental Costs: Fast-tracking fossil fuels not only imposes greater capacity auction costs on consumers but also perpetuates public health and climate harms linked to continued fossil fuel infrastructure development.
“Due to the low reliability value of gas power plants, increased extreme weather expected due to climate change, and public health and climate impacts of fossil fuels, we strongly oppose the current fast-tracking proposal,” the letter states.
READ THE LETTER AND SEE ALL SIGN-ONS HERE
If the PJM Board passes the proposal, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission would need to approve it. The letter was also shared with FERC and relevant Congressional energy committees.
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Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. Founded in 2002, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC.
