NEWS: PJM transmission expansion has shrunk connection costs by nearly $9B.

The context: In February, the grid operator greenlit roughly $12B in transmission projects in its eastern, southern, and western footprints (including facility upgrades and new extra-high-voltage lines). 

The discounts: Now, PJM said, these projects have yielded some serious savings, reducing costs to link up new generation by $8.7B. (It’s also worth noting that 180 projects backed out of the interconnection process, which PJM said drove “some of the difference in cost.”)