For Immediate Release
Katie Thompson
kthompson@keealliance.org, (215) 792-2101
January 10, 2025
Statewide, PA – The Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance, a trade association representing over 70 energy efficiency businesses in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, issued the following statement expressing support for Governor Shapiro’s recent lawsuit against PJM Interconnection, the organization responsible for managing wholesale electricity sales across 13 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states including Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as the District of Columbia.
“PJM shocked the energy world last year when summer capacity auction prices spiked up to 10 times higher than prices from the previous year,” said KEEA Executive Director Jeaneen Zappa.“ As Governor Shapiro’s complaint rightfully points out, these drastic but avoidable price increases could result in over $20 billion in unnecessary energy costs for Pennsylvanians and other consumers in the PJM region, without providing any commensurate improvements in reliability or grid stability.”
“As the Governor’s complaint notes, we are facing steep increases in demand for electricity, especially from data centers, yet the PJM waiting line to approve new power projects – called the Interconnection Queue – is woefully backlogged and only now unpacking almost 5 years of projects following recent reforms. The Governor’s complaint calls on PJM to further reform its processes, to engage member states to rapidly advance projects and clear the roster of waiting new energy projects, and to ratchet back its pricing formula.”
“Now more than ever, energy efficiency improvements matter,” Zappa said, adding, “Using less energy costs less and pays back, not only in monetary and environmental benefits but even more so in consumer comfort.”
“It is notable that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission itself projects that overall electric load will double in just 5 years, and other reports suggest forecasted electric load growth well above even that projected by FERC–with particularly heavy load growth in the PJM territory,” Zappa said. “This problem isn’t going away on its own, and we applaud the Governor’s leadership in pushing for reasonable changes that protect consumers and help to ensure reliable, available and affordable energy.”
About the Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance and the Energy Efficiency Alliance of New Jersey:
The Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance (KEEA) and the Energy Efficiency Alliance of New Jersey (EEA-NJ) are a joint 501(c)6 trade organization representing member businesses and collaborating organizations across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Their shared mission is to champion energy efficiency as the foundation of a clean, just, and resilient energy economy. KEEA and EEA-NJ envision a world in which energy efficiency anchors all efforts to meet our ongoing energy needs, improve health and comfort, promote energy equity, and protect our climate.