As data center growth across the United States is expected to create unprecedented stress on electrical grids, PJM Interconnection, a pivotal grid operator that has come under criticism for delays, is scrambling for ways to keep up.
PJM, which serves 13 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, is seeking public comment on a rulemaking shortcut known as the Critical Issue Fast Path or CIFP —a process launched by its board as a way to expedite its months-long review process for suppliers seeking to join the grid.
Among the fixes PJM has proposed in the process is a fast-track interconnection queue that would let a handful of large projects connect to the grid within months instead of years. Experts warn that the criteria would prioritize gas plants, potentially locking in more fossil fuel genera