With Huge Rate Increases Looming, Regional Grid Members Lean Toward Comprehensive Ratepayer Protections, But Fall Short

In an all-day discussion and voting session debating 12 different proposals, members of PJM Interconnection put the most support behind the most protective plan for ratepayers

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Voting members at Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland Interconnection (PJM), the organization managing the flow of electricity to 65 million people across 13 states and D.C., met yesterday to debate and vote on different options for how to allocate the soaring energy costs associated with data centers. Of the comprehensive proposals, the solution that received the most stakeholder support is the one that was the best for protecting ratepayers. There was one proposal that received more support, but it was a narrow one focused only on Price Responsive Demand. 

The proposal that would fully address the problem posed by 30 gigawatts of data centers seeking to connect to the PJM grid in the coming years was put forward by the Independent Market Monitor. Without any protections, this new data center load could cost the average ratepayer $70 a month. This proposal would not allow data centers to connect to the PJM grid until there is sufficient generation to provide electricity to those facilities. This Bring Your Own Generation (BYOG) approach is broadly supported by stakeholders. Advocates from across the PJM region recently sent a letter to PJM urging support for a Bring Your Own Generation requirement. 

“People should not be forced to choose between energy affordability and reliability, said Quentin Scott, Federal Director of Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “In this instance, the solution that is best for affordability is also best for reliability, and that is why we saw more support for PJM policies that will keep electricity prices low.”

None of the 12 proposals considered by PJM received the necessary support to be declared “passed.” This voting session is meant to inform the final proposal, which will be developed by the PJM Board of Managers in the coming month. 

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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, Washington, DC and beyond.

Advocates Sound Alarm as Public Service Commission Approves Washington Gas’s Costly 13% Increase on Gas Bills

The rate increase comes as many D.C. residents struggle to pay their gas bills ahead of winter.  

WASHINGTON, D.C. — With one in seven D.C. gas users already behind on their bills, the D.C. Public Service Commission (PSC) yesterday voted in favor of Washington Gas’s 13% gas rate hike that will further raise consumer energy costs ahead of the brutal winter season. The rate increase includes a transfer of $12.5 million from Washington Gas’s $12 billion methane gas pipeline replacement program — one condemned by consumer advocates and environmental groups as costly, ineffective, and unsafe — to base rates, locking in costs for customers for decades. Despite over 10 years of work on this project and repeated increases in gas bills to fund ongoing maintenance, D.C.’s aging gas systems remain leaky and increasingly expensive.

Advocates for consumer rights, public safety, and climate action have repeatedly called for PSC to deny rate increases and require Washington Gas to make improvements. They point out that Washington Gas’s ongoing pipeline overhaul, previously called Project Pipes and then rebranded as District Safe, has actually coincided with a surge in hazardous leaks-rising as much as 25% from 2020 to 2024, according to company data. In one incident in 2024, it took the utility over six hours to respond to a gas odor complaint, further raising alarm over public safety. Meanwhile, the pipeline project continues to run over budget while Washington Gas shareholders see profits rise, and D.C. residents are left to foot the bill. The utility corporation has prioritized revenue generation over safety or affordability, turning public need into private gain while families shoulder the costs.    

In response to yesterday’s decision by the D.C. Public Service Commission, Claire Mills, D.C. Campaigns Manager at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, released the following statement: 

“The Public Service Commission had a clear choice: protect D.C residents or side with corporate profits. Yesterday, they stood with Washington Gas as the for-profit utility corporation raised gas bills ahead of the brutal winter season and at a time when many households are already struggling to make ends meet. Many D.C. working families simply cannot afford the double-digit increase in average gas bill to almost $100 every month.

“Washington Gas is singularly focused on one thing: keeping its profits flowing. The utility has worked to undermine D.C.’s energy efficiency standards, which save people money, and continues to pass the cost of its gas pipeline replacement program, which has already generated millions of dollars, onto D.C. residents. Meanwhile, the Public Service Commission, responsible for overseeing the utility corporation, has failed in its oversight. With utility regulators asleep at the wheel, it’s time for a legislative solution.  

“Every extra dollar funnelled into Washington Gas’s profit is a dollar taken from families who need to heat their homes this winter. D.C. residents deserve energy solutions that keep the lights on, not bills that force them to choose between warmth and groceries.” 

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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, Washington, DC and beyond.