The organization that manages the electric grid for 13 states, including Pennsylvania, has moved too slowly in response to skyrocketing energy demand and consumers are paying for it, Gov. Josh Shapiro said Monday. Via The PA Capital Star:
Speaking at a conference of energy industry leaders and regulators in Philadelphia, Shapiro said PJM Interconnection must make changes, including giving states a bigger role in its governance, or the commonwealth could leave the consortium.
“We need to be thinking about consumers and their costs, something that PJM, I think, doesn’t really spend a whole lot of time focused on,” Shapiro told reporters Monday after delivering opening remarks at the event.
He said governors from each PJM state share concerns about the Valley Forge-based organization’s backlog of new energy projects awaiting approval while peak energy consumption is expected to increase by 20% in the next decade, according to PJM’s forecast. Much of that demand will come from data centers that house the computing power for artificial intelligence.
“We need to move more quickly on these energy-producing projects. We’ve got to hold down costs. If PJM cannot do that, then Pennsylvania will look to go it alone,” Shapiro said.