July 26, 2004—PJM Interconnection has approved an additional $87 million in upgrades to the electric transmission system in the PJM region.
The transmission additions are part of PJMs current Regional Transmission Expansion Plan. The plan is the end result of a continuing, systematic process to make necessary transmission grid improvements. Transmission improvements keep the system in compliance with reliability standards. These standards ensure that the system continues to deliver electricity throughout the area. The improvements also accommodate interconnection of new generating projects.
The updates to the plan will accommodate the connection to the grid of 26 generation projects, which will add 1,100 megawatts of new generation capacity.
PJM approved the first Regional Transmission Expansion Plan in 2000. To date, approved transmission investments total nearly $785 million. Nearly 100 projects adding up to 13,000 megawatts of new generation have been connected to the PJM grid since the inception of the plan.
In PJM the entity that benefits from the improvements pays for the cost. As an example, new generators or merchant transmission projects pay the cost of transmission upgrades required to interconnect them with the grid.
PJM Interconnection ensures the reliability of the high-voltage electric power system serving 35 million people in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. For more information, contact PJM.
