A planned September 30 solicitation will test whether proposed generation can become committed capacity.
PJM plans to open a reliability backstop procurement on September 30 after its latest capacity auction fell 6,831 MW short of its reliability requirement. The grid operator says new large loads are arriving faster than new generation, and its proposed procurement would seek supply beyond what bilateral contracts and self-supply can cover.
The pressure is moving from forecasts to commitments. A project’s announced megawatts matter less here than whether it can qualify, secure a contract, complete grid studies and reach operation on time.
What to watch: whether the solicitation opens as planned, how PJM adjusts its target for private deals, and which eligible projects receive commitments when results are expected in December.
This is a test of PJM’s proposed response, not evidence that the capacity gap has closed. Regulatory and project outcomes remain open.
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