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The PJM Interconnection on Tuesday presented a plan to enable a limited number of generation projects that can meet reliability needs a study cycle for interconnection will start early next year.

The “Reliability Resources Initiativeis a response to unprecedented forecasts for demand growth, coupled with a slow pace of bringing new power plants online and the looming retirement of generators, said Donnie Bielak, PJM’s director of interconnection planning.

“We have to do something, and we have to do something now,” Bielak said during a meeting of the PJM Planning Committee on Tuesday.

The proposal comes as PJM clears a backlog of interconnection requests that have been put on hold and are currently under review a transition process that consists of three tracks towards a completely reformed framework for interconnection studies. PJM plans to begin reviewing new interconnection requests in mid-2026 as part of its reformed process.

PJM is finalizing generator interconnect agreements for its ‘fast track’ interconnection assessment of approximately 24.5 GW and is in the second phase of its 26.2 GW transition cycle 1 process, according to Bielak. A window for eligible projects to participate in the transition cycle 2 process of approximately 96.2 GW closes on December 17.

Projects in the three tracks are heavily focused on solar energy, Bielak noted. “If you look at that from an operational standpoint, you’re basically putting all your eggs in one basket, and what we want to do is really try to diversify … kind of hedge our position by being able to get as much generation online as quickly as possible to to meet the reliability requirements we set,” he said.

If PJM’s reliability initiative moves forward and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approves it, the grid operator would allow eligible projects to be included in the TC2 study process early next year to be assessed alongside all other interconnection requests that qualify for that process, according to Bielak. PJM does not want to do anything that would slow down the TC2 process, which could lead to delays in studying new interconnection applications in 2026, he said.

The proposal to jump funds into the TC2 study process will “probably only apply to a very, very select number of projects,” Bielak said. “We do not want this to be at the expense of all other projects, especially those that are currently eligible for TC2.”

In its “fuel-agnostic” framework, PJM is considering an eligibility requirement that projects meet effective carrying capacities or unforced capacity thresholds, Bielak said during the presentation. The projects should also be online on specific dates.

PJM plans to present a straw proposal at a Planning Committee meeting on October 18followed by discussion at an Oct. 30 meeting of the Markets and Reliability Committee. In mid-December, PJM plans to submit a proposal for FERC approval. The plan is supported by PJM leadership and the grid operator plans to submit the application to FERC unilaterally, without stakeholder approval, Bielak said.

Some PJM stakeholders expressed concerns about the proposal.

“It is unjust, unreasonable and highly discriminatory against the producers in the queue, especially sustainable producers” some of whom have been in PJM’s queue for years. Omar MartinoInvenergy eexecutive vice president of markets and regulatory affairs, said at the meeting.

The proposal represents a “sweetheart deal” for some generators and goes against the principles of open access, Martino said. According to Martino, a serious lawsuit could follow at FERC and end up in court.

“I think this proposal, unless it really changes significantly, is going to create a lot more confusion, a lot more chaos and a lot more uncertainty for many years to come,” Martino said.