The PJM Interconnection board has approved a $6.7 billion Regional Transmission Expansion Plan to increase power capacity in light of recent load growth.
This higher demand is largely thanks to an increase in data centers, EVs, and building heating systems, among other driving factors.
Part of the plan includes a $4.6 billion, 765-kV multistate transmission network to be built by American Electric Power, Dominion Energy and FirstEnergy. This backbone will support increased west-east regional power transfer across hundreds of miles of transmission lines.
These projects are meant to increase reliability across the regional grid, which includes 13 mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states and the District of Columbia.
As the country continues to see a surge in electricity demand, projects like this will be essential in keeping up with load growth.
