By Steven Allen Adams, The Parkersburg News and Sentinel
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As the number of electric vehicles continues to grow on U.S. highways and with climate change causing more stress on the existing electrical grid system, a new report calls for proactive transmission planning for the regional grid that serves West Virginia.
Americans for a Clean Energy Grid – a nonprofit consisting of more than 40 environmental, conservation, and renewable energy organizations and companies – released a report Tuesday morning, titled “Transmission Planning for PJM’s Future Load and Generation.”
The report focuses specifically on PJM Interconnection, a wholesale energy transmission company – also called a regional transmission organization – serving West Virginia, 12 other states, and Washington, D.C.
PJM serves all neighboring states and parts of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Delaware, New Jersey, and North Carolina. PJM includes 400 member utilities and independent power producers. Founded in 1927, PJM and other regional transmission organizations allow generators of electricity and users to buy and sell power across the organization’s territory. Today’s PJM market came to be in 1999.
The report was produced for Americans for a Clean Energy Grid by GridStrategies and David Gardiner and Associates. According to the report, PJM’s energy demand in 2040 will exceed PJM’s 2024 load forecast by 8% for the expected scenario and 18% for the worst case scenario for demand.
