Ethan Howland

The PJM Interconnection’s plan for curtailing large loads that don’t have matching new generation intrudes on state jurisdiction and appears to be discriminatory, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said.

Commissioner David Rosner said that Duke Energy Carolina’s proposal offers “meaningful, if imperfect, new protections,” adding that consumer protections are “inadequate across the country” and FERC may need to take further action.

The project, dubbed “Flagship,” includes 765-kV transmission lines to be built by AEP Ohio, roughly 10 GW in data center load and about 10.2 GW in gas-fired generation.

The Flagship project includes 765-kV transmission lines to be built by AEP Ohio, roughly 10 GW in data center load and about 10.2 GW in gas-fired generation.

“The only current restriction on getting American gas is our ability to get the gas to market and the infrastructure bottlenecks,” FERC Chairman Laura Swett said.

Commissioners David Rosner and Judy Chang said other regions should adopt similar review processes for local transmission projects, which states and consumer advocates say need more oversight.

“The demand growth we're experiencing today is real,” LS Power’s Darpan Kapadia said. “The supply side is going to take time to catch up, and the markets are screaming that.”

Wind power purchase agreements held relatively steady in Q3, but could begin to rise anew with solar as the latest round of tariffs take effect later this year.

The grid operator’s proposed fast-track for colocated load and generation lacks ratepayer protections and favors vertically integrated utilities over independent power producers, critics said. Utilities, including Duke and Entergy subsidiaries, voiced support for it.

FirstEnergy’s Monongahela Power contends that the PJM Interconnection’s advanced scheduling of gas-fired power plants during Winter Storm Fern may have violated the grid operator’s rules.