{"id":2333424,"date":"2024-08-29T11:15:57","date_gmt":"2024-08-29T15:15:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-red-tape-new-power-plant-delays-put-pjm-grid-in-peril-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-29T11:20:18","modified_gmt":"2024-08-29T15:20:18","slug":"report-red-tape-new-power-plant-delays-put-pjm-grid-in-peril-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-red-tape-new-power-plant-delays-put-pjm-grid-in-peril-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Report: Red tape, new power plant delays put PJM grid \u2018in peril\u2019 &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Freport-red-tape-new-power-plant-delays-put-pjm-grid-in-peril-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2333424&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-georgia-secretary-of-state-brad-raffensperger-neglected-to-protect-georgians-by-allowing-dominion-voting-machines-in-elections-he-didnt-prevent-fraud-he-provided-f\/\" title=\"REPORT: Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger Neglected to Protect Georgians By Allowing Dominion Voting Machines in Elections \u2013 He Didn\u2019t Prevent Fraud \u2013 He Provided for It\">recent report highlights<\/a> \u2064concerning \u2062issues\u200c regarding the PJM\u2063 electric grid,\u200c which serves\u200d 13 states \u2062and Washington, D.C. The \u2063report indicates that government policies \u200band delays in building new power \u2064plants are putting the grid &#8220;in\u2064 peril.&#8221; Pennsylvania is \u200dcentral to\u200d this grid, \u200dgenerating surplus electricity for neighboring \u200bstates, yet increasing power demand and numerous regulatory hurdles threaten its \u200bfuture stability. Ken \u200bZapinski from \u200bPittsburgh Works Together\u200b warns that without timely replacements \u2064for retiring coal\u200c plants and the construction of new energy generation and transmission lines, the \u200dgrid may face shortages by 2030. A June PJM \u2064report cautioned that \u2064significant increases in energy demands by 2040\u200b will require\u200d an additional 623 to 798 terawatt-hours of annual \u2064electricity to avoid supply scarcity. Challenges such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ed-rendell-to-newsmax-some-nontraditional-infrastructure-must-stay-in-bill\/\" title=\"Ed Rendell to Newsmax: Some Nontraditional Infrastructure Must Stay in Bill\">local zoning laws<\/a> and\u200d federal regulations complicate the \u2062development \u2063of necessary infrastructure, raising concerns for the grid\u2019s ability \u200cto\u200d meet\u200c future needs.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Report: Red tape, new power plant delays put PJM grid &lsquo;in peril&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1741133\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &mdash; Pennsylvania sits at the heart of the 13-state electric grid called PJM.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>That means the state&rsquo;s role in generating power to keep the lights on in neighboring states is crucial. But a report warns that recent government policy choices have weakened the grid, making it more vulnerable to disruptions.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pse-may-need-to-look-at-resources-that-start-on-natural-gas-before-power-shortage\/\" title=\"PSE should consider utilizing natural gas resources to address potential power shortages\">potential power shortage<\/a> could hit by 2030 if more problems mount.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an issue in Washington and it&rsquo;s an issue in various state capitals,&rdquo; said Ken Zapinski, director of research and public policy at Pittsburgh Works Together, which published the report warning that the PJM grid is &ldquo;in peril.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>PJM works as a middleman of sorts; it plans for the future and coordinates the marketplace where utilities and consumers buy electricity across 13 states and Washington, DC. States like Pennsylvania, Illinois and West Virginia generate more electricity than they use, which states like Ohio and Virginia buy up, keeping the lights on for 65 million people.<\/p>\n<p>However, the growing demand for power, roadblocks to building more generation and transmission lines, and a lack of authority or responsibility for certain problems are causing frustrations.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Regardless of where one stands on the energy mix issue, transmission will require lots of things being built,&rdquo; Zapinski said. &ldquo;And it&rsquo;s really difficult and time consuming and expensive to build big things in this country.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The result has been that, as coal power plants shut down, the power generation isn&rsquo;t getting replaced quickly enough. Roadblocks from local zoning issues, state and federal regulations, and financial hangups after regulatory approval delay new sources of power.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;To keep the grid working, no matter what the future direction, requires building a lot of big things,&rdquo; Zapinski said. &ldquo;If Pennsylvania, somehow, is not producing the same amount of power for whatever reason, at the end of the day, there&rsquo;s no clear model as to how that works.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>A June report from PJM warned that energy demands will increase significantly by 2040, and another &ldquo;623 to 798 terawatt hours of annual electricity by 2040 to meet the resource gap&rdquo; will be needed.<\/p>\n<p>Supply scarcity is &ldquo;nearly certain&rdquo; unless fossil fuel retirements slow or more energy generation gets built faster.<\/p>\n<p>But federal rules, like an EPA greenhouse gas regulation that would require coal plants to upgrade their equipment or shut down by 2032, are causing early retirements, Zapinski argued, at a time when PJM only approved 11 gigawatts of new projects in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>State and federal rules, along with the priorities of power generators, utilities and businesses, means that some actions work against others.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The real challenge is nobody&rsquo;s in charge,&rdquo; Zapinski said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of different public and private sector players that are in charge of different aspects, and for things to work correctly everything has to be in alignment. If any of them fall out of alignment, things can fall to pieces very quickly.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In February, a joint Pennsylvania-Ohio House and Senate Committee hearing took testimony on how bureaucracy shuts down power generators before new replacements are at hand and strains reliability. But one overriding fix isn&rsquo;t easy to pass &mdash; no one group has the ultimate authority.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As intermittent power sources like wind and solar grow, and the footprint of coal and natural gas shrink, the risk of blackouts like what&rsquo;s happened in Texas and California grows.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;That math isn&rsquo;t good,&rdquo; Zapinski said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1741133\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1741133\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A report indicates that bureaucratic hurdles and delays in new power plant construction are jeopardizing the PJM electric grid, which spans 13 states, including Pennsylvania. The state plays a vital role in supplying electricity to neighboring areas, but the report highlights that recent government decisions have compromised the grid&#8217;s stability, increasing its susceptibility to disruptions. A potential power shortage could arise by 2030 if issues persist. Ken Zapinski, director of research and public policy at Pittsburgh Works Together\u2014who published the report\u2014stated that this is a concern both in Washington and various state capitals.<\/p>\n<p>PJM acts as an intermediary, planning for future energy needs and managing the marketplace where utilities and consumers purchase electricity across its member states and Washington D.C. States like Pennsylvania, Illinois, and West Virginia produce more electricity than they consume; this surplus is purchased by states such as Ohio and Virginia to support around 65 million residents. However, rising energy demands coupled with obstacles in constructing additional generation facilities and transmission lines are causing significant challenges.<\/p>\n<p>Zapinski emphasized that regardless of differing opinions on energy sources, substantial infrastructure development is necessary for effective transmission. He noted that building large projects has become increasingly difficult due to local zoning laws, regulatory requirements at both state and federal levels, as well as financial complications following regulatory approvals\u2014all of which delay new power sources from coming online.<\/p>\n<p>As coal plants close down without adequate replacements being established swiftly enough due to these barriers\u2014such as local regulations or financial issues\u2014the reliability of the grid is threatened. A June PJM report projected a significant increase in energy demand by 2040 necessitating an additional &#8220;623 to 798 terawatt hours&#8221; annually just to fill existing gaps. Without either slowing fossil fuel retirements or accelerating new generation capacity development significantly faster than current rates\u2014which saw only 11 gigawatts approved by PJM in 2023\u2014the likelihood of supply shortages becomes &#8220;nearly certain.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Zapinski pointed out that conflicting federal regulations (like EPA greenhouse gas rules mandating coal plant upgrades or closures by 2032) contribute further complications during a time when timely project approvals are critical for maintaining grid reliability.<\/p>\n<p>The fragmented nature of authority among various public-private stakeholders complicates efforts toward cohesive action; if any one entity fails to align with others&#8217; objectives or timelines it can lead quickly lead towards systemic failures within the grid structure itself.<\/p>\n<p>In February testimony before a joint committee from Pennsylvania-Ohio highlighted how bureaucratic processes hinder timely replacement for retiring generators thereby straining overall system reliability\u2014a complex issue lacking straightforward solutions since no single organization holds ultimate decision-making power over all aspects involved.<\/p>\n<p>As reliance on intermittent renewable resources like wind &amp; solar increases while traditional fossil fuel sources diminish their presence risks associated with blackouts similar those experienced recently across Texas &amp; California also rise sharply according Zapinski who remarked \u201cThat math isn\u2019t good.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2333425,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/iStock-1851969709-1024x578.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[36468,39646,39647,39648,32076],"class_list":["post-2333424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-energy-policy","tag-pjm-grid","tag-power-plant-delays","tag-red-tape","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/iStock-1851969709-1024x578.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2333424","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2333424"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2333424\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2333425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2333424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2333424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2333424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}