PJM is fast-tracking new rules to handle the surge in electricity demand from AI and data centers—but critics warn the move could tilt the grid toward fossil fuels. (Inside Climate News)
PJM’s “Critical Issue Fast Path” process would allow 10 large power projects per year to connect to the grid in as little as 10 months, bypassing a multi-year backlog. Projects must exceed 500 MW and be completed within 3 years—criteria experts say favor new gas over wind, solar, or storage.
Clean energy advocates argue the rule could lock in decades of new fossil capacity, undermining state climate laws. PJM insists the rule is “open to all technologies,” but if approved by FERC in December, it could reshape how — and how fast — the region’s next generation of power gets built.