RMI Study Reveals Large Opportunity for Clean Energy and Customer Savings in PJM by Deploying GETs

Grid-enhancing technologies can address interconnection challenges and reduce system costs.

Boulder, CO – February 15, 2024

Today RMI released GETting Interconnected in PJM, with new analysis revealing that grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) would enable the integration of 6.6 GW of new clean energy onto PJM’s grid, supporting regional reliability and affordability. By freeing up additional transmission capacity for clean energy, the 95 GETs projects considered would generate approximately $1 billion in production cost savings per year across PJM. The study was funded by Amazon and based on analysis conducted by Quanta Technologies.

As development of low-cost wind, solar, and battery storage projects is proliferating, electric grid operators are struggling to find space on grid to ensure those projects can deliver their energy to consumers. As a result, time-consuming interconnection processes are delaying projects and increasing costs. Interconnection delays are especially acute in PJM, the largest wholesale electricity market in the world, which encompasses 13 states and the District of Columbia. As of the end of 2022, PJM had the second largest interconnection backlog of the regional transmission organizations, and the longest wait times of any region from 2018 to 2022. Utilizing GETs as network upgrades could play a pivotal role in allowing the PJM grid to quickly and economically add clean energy, reduce costs, maintain system reliability, and meet climate targets.

GETs are hardware and software solutions that are deployed within the existing transmission system, helping increase the capacity, flexibility, and efficiency of the current grid. These transmission tools, which have been deployed internationally for decades, are not yet routinely considered in planning paradigms such as grid operators’ interconnection studies. Because they are cheaper and quicker to install than other types of transmission upgrades, GETs have tremendous potential to expedite the integration of new resources onto the grid.

“With growing demand for electricity to power our lives and an influx of clean energy projects under development, the US grid needs to expand, fast,” said Katie Siegner, an electric sector expert at RMI. “Grid-enhancing technologies can be deployed in a matter of months, and offer a multi-faceted solution – they unlock greater efficiency on the grid, keep electricity rates down, and enhance reliability throughout the energy transition.”

“As the nation pushes for a transition to clean energy, Amazon is focused on helping solve the end-to-end challenge of renewable energy generation, transmission, and reliable power delivery by working with its energy providers, grid operators, and policy makers. Today, there are more renewable energy projects seeking to access the U.S. electric grid than existing transmission lines can handle, and we need to bring forward more solutions that can be deployed quickly to meet this challenge. Amazon has been the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy for four straight years and we’re committed to utilizing 100% renewable energy for the electricity powering our operations by 2025,” said Abhishek Sharma, head of energy strategy, Amazon Web Services.

“There are numerous market-ready technologies that can optimize our electrical grid and accelerate the future our customers need. Realizing how to model the functionality and quantify the benefits of these technologies is a barrier to the implementation of grid-enhancing technologies. RMI’s analysis of potential benefits of GETs as applied to the PJM region begins to break down that barrier and encourages stakeholders to realize their benefits,” said Alexina Jackson, VP of strategic development, the AES Corporation.

“Our grid is stuck in the past. In our region, we need to plan better, forecast more accurately, and build the grid of the 21st century. In order for that to be cost-effective, we have to look at advanced technologies, and GETs are a key part of that,” said Greg Poulos, executive director of the Consumer Advocates of PJM States (CAPS)

Media Contact:

Liza Martin, lmartin@rmi.org, 804-874-5862

About RMI:

RMI, founded in 1982 as Rocky Mountain Institute, is an independent nonprofit that transforms global energy systems through market-driven solutions to align with a 1.5°C future and secure a clean, prosperous, zero-carbon future for all. We work in the world’s most critical geographies and engage businesses, policymakers, communities, and NGOs to identify and scale energy system interventions that will cut greenhouse gas emissions at least 50 percent by 2030. RMI has offices in Basalt and Boulder, Colorado; New York City; Oakland, California; Washington, D.C.; Nigeria; and Beijing. More information on RMI can be found at www.rmi.org.