We thank the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for ordering PJM to take specific steps to finally update its interconnection queue rules to meet national standards. PJM is now required to plan for battery storage and Grid Enhancing Technologies (GETs) in commonsense ways. In light of two straight years of record-high prices in PJM’s capacity auction–and demands from multiple states to clean up its act and better protect customers from price spikes–it is high time for the power grid operator to get back on track.

While we are relieved that the negotiated price cap prevented capacity costs from soaring even higher, this record price spike is unacceptable. CUB is deeply concerned that ComEd customers will continue to bear painfully high costs for another year, largely because of policy shortcomings from PJM.

Surging data center demand and sluggish clean energy growth are converging as PJM, the pivotal power grid operator, awaits capacity auction results.

This summer, electricity prices are skyrocketing. Starting June 1, consumers started to feel the heat of poor decision-making at our regional grid operators, PJM and MISO. Unfortunately, there is more bad news: the federal Department of Energy is ordering two expensive, out-of-state power plants on the verge of retirement to stay open past their closing dates, at our expense.

The following is a statement by Clara Summers, manager of the Citizens Utility Board’s Consumers for a Better Grid campaign, on a federal order to keep the Eddystone Generating Station, a power plant in Pennsylvania, open. The move could needlessly cost customers across the country, including Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) customers in Illinois, millions of dollars in higher electric bills.