PJM Interconnection's board of directors has approved nearly $1 billion in additional electric transmission upgrades to maintain power reliability in PJM's region, which includes 13 states and the District of Columbia. Altogether, the board has authorized $4.7 billion in transmission projects this year.
The approvals are part of PJM's Regional Transmission Expansion Plan, which aims to ensure the reliability of the high-voltage transmission system over the next 15 years. The plan includes a variety of projects throughout PJM's region, such as upgrades to substations, transformers and existing transmission facilities.
"The regional transmission expansion planning process keeps us on a steady course of focusing on long-term reliability even amid a sea of changes like those we've seen this past year," says Terry Boston, PJM president and CEO. "We've seen announced retirements of almost 16,000 MW of generation and a dramatic shift toward an increase of natural gas-fired generation."
Since PJM's formal planning process began in 2000, the board has authorized $23 billion in transmission additions and upgrades.
