Third Way Statement on Trump and Northeastern Governors’ Request for PJM Auction
WASHINGTON—Third Way released the following statement in response to the Northeastern governors’ visit to the White House today to call on PJM to offer a September capacity auction.
"This is another signal to PJM that they need to bring more power onto the grid while protecting the average customer from bearing the brunt of these costs. Their customers face some of the highest costs in the country, and they need relief. The proposed auction alone will not address the underlying delays of the interconnection process, but it should be a wake-up call that swift action is needed to address growing demand.
"There are a number of details to work out between now and September—and challenges to solve. What will be done to improve the interconnection process to meet the moment? Will this disproportionately benefit hyperscalers? How will this impact other sources of growing demand? What are the potential consequences of using the same price cap that did not secure enough bids in PJM’s December capacity auction?
"These are just some of the thorny questions that demand serious solutions. We know that Govs. Shapiro and Moore, and incoming Gov. Spanberger, are equipped to get into the weeds and develop pragmatic, all-of-the-above policies that deliver relief for consumers. But they need the White House to match that commitment, stop playing politics with energy, and deploy every resource available—including renewables and storage—to meet growing demand."