PJM Board Approves $11.8B Transmission Expansion Across Mid-Atlantic and Midwest
PJM Interconnection has approved $11.8 billion in transmission expansion projects to strengthen grid reliability across its Mid-Atlantic and Midwest footprint. The plan, part of the 2025 Regional Transmission Expansion Plan (RTEP) Window 1, addresses accelerated electricity demand, delayed offshore wind projects, and growing regional power flows.
The largest project is a $4.8 billion initiative by Dominion Energy Virginia, which will construct a 185-mile, 525-kV underground transmission line with two high-voltage DC converter stations. The project aims to deliver 3,000 MW to Loudoun County, home to the world’s largest data center concentration, and is expected online by June 2032.
In Pennsylvania, NextEra Energy Transmission and Exelon will build a $1.7 billion high-voltage transmission line to address structural reliability needs in the region, with operations planned for June 2031. Meanwhile, Grid Growth Ventures, a joint venture between Transource Energy and FirstEnergy Transmission, will develop 300 miles of 765-kV lines in central Ohio at a cost of $1.1 billion.
Smaller projects include PPL Electric ($580M) and Exelon subsidiaries Commonwealth Edison ($276M) and Potomac Electric Power Co. ($292M). PJM noted that proactive planning is crucial, given the long timelines for siting, routing, and regulatory approvals.
Transmission costs are increasingly impacting wholesale electricity prices in PJM, rising from $14.40/MWh in 2022 to $17.71/MWh in 2024, now accounting for 32% of total wholesale power costs.
Source: utilitydive.com
