Advocates, state leaders call on PJM to lower energy bills
By Tashi McQueenAFRO Staff Writertmcqueen@afro.com Regional state leaders and climate advocates gathered May 11 outside the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront during the PJM Interconnection annual meeting to call for lower electricity costs and faster clean energy approvals. The meeting, which runs through May 13, brings stakeholders together to review the regional power grid and plan future […] The post Advocates, state leaders call on PJM to lower energy bills appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
Black News 
By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
Regional state leaders and climate advocates gathered May 11 outside the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront during the PJM Interconnection annual meeting to call for lower electricity costs and faster clean energy approvals.
The meeting, which runs through May 13, brings stakeholders together to review the regional power grid and plan future energy needs.
Speakers said delays in connecting renewable energy projects to the grid, a network of power lines and equipment that moves electricity across regions, are contributing to higher utility bills.
“Today, low-income consumer advocates, environmental groups and lawmakers are here together with a simple message to PJM,” said Rebecca Reer, director of Climate Policy and Justice at the Maryland League of Conservation Voters. “Let more affordable clean energy onto the grid.”
A 2025 Synapse Energy Economics analysis found that allowing more clean energy onto the grid could save customers about $500 a year in electricity bills.
Maryland Sen. Katie Fry Hester (D-Md.-09) said PJM serves 67 million ratepayers across 13 states and the District of Columbia.
“Let more affordable clean energy onto the grid.” – Rebecca Reer, Director of Climate Policy and Justice at the Maryland League of Conservation Voters
Advocates expressed three demands: They called for requiring large energy users, including data centers, to help support the electricity they consume; removing users that do not bring new supply from key market auctions and prioritizing clean energy in backup power planning.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) both commended PJM for some of their progress in making utility costs more affordable and pressed them to do more.
“Earlier this year, PJM Board of Managers made the choice to extend the capacity price cap through 2030 and I want to say thank you, because that was the right choice. It’s a choice that’s projected to save rate payers across the region $27 billion dollars,” said Moore. “But, today, I am here to say plainly that PJM can and must do more for rate payers.”
“For too long, affordability and reliability have been framed as somehow competing goals…that somehow keeping the lights on tomorrow requires working families to pay crushing prices today,” Moore added.
PJM provided comments directly to the AFRO in response to Moore’s speech.
“PJM recognizes the pressure many families and businesses are feeling about rising electricity costs across the region,” said the company. “This is a generational challenge that no one organization, state or industry can solve alone. It will take coordination across policymakers, grid operators, utilities, generators, and large energy users to help evolve the grid at the speed and scale this moment demands.”
“PJM is working with relentless focus to accelerate the connection of new generation while preparing the system to support growing demand, evolving technologies and the needs of the 67 million people we serve,” they added.
PJM Interconnection said its interconnection process is working and has processed thousands of megawatts of renewable projects. The company said delays are driven in part by factors outside its control, including permitting, siting, financing and supply chain issues.
“We have approved ~53 GW of mostly renewable generation, including 1.6 GW of projects in Maryland, that have agreements and could be built today,” said PJM in a statement to the AFRO.
“We continue to work closely with state and federal policymakers and all our stakeholders to bring new generation online to serve the growing economy without an unfair burden to electricity customers,” PJM added. “PJM will continue to keep the power flowing this summer to the Chesapeake region and the 67 million people we serve by placing the reliability of the system first.”
Income disparities also shape the stakes of rising utility costs, with Black Marylanders and other lower-income households standing to be more vulnerable to rate increases.
The typical African-American household makes $66,727, compared to $105,270 for the typical White American household. The typical Black Marylander household makes $101,781, compared to $141,988 for the typical White Marylander household.
In Baltimore City, the typical White household income is $129,446, compared to the typical Black household income of $60,085.
State leaders and advocates said they will continue working together to improve affordability for all ratepayers and achieve a more stable energy future.
The post Advocates, state leaders call on PJM to lower energy bills appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
