NEWS: PJM states are raising the bar to lower bills.

In New Jersey: Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed a hefty package of energy legislation to lower household costs. These laws will 1) reduce ratepayer burden via a new rate structure for data centers 2) fast-track review for grid projects utilizing advanced transmission tech and 3) order NJ utilities to join PJM (meaning no more ROE bumps for transmission owners that join voluntarily).

In Maryland: State officials filed a complaint with FERC to nix that same financial incentive (a 0.5% ROE bump) for joining PJM. Their argument: Maryland’s Utility RELIEF Act, enacted in May, makes membership mandatory.

Plus, out West, 11 governors are calling for a study to upgrade the region’s grid…which they say must “promote open, competitive markets by reducing bottlenecks that restrict choice and limit access to lower-cost power.”