NJ Spotlight News reported on the New Jersey debate over leaving the PJM wholesale market as it seeks to meet clean energy goals, quoting AEE's Jeff Dennis. Read excerpts below and the whole piece here (the story was also reposted by New Jersey's NPR affiliate WHYY here).
Will the state’s clean-energy goals be more readily achieved by remaining in the regional power grid or by bolting it out of fear that staying — along with certain federal policies — could undermine efforts to combat climate change?
That issue is the crux of an intense debate over how New Jersey should respond to policy changes by the regional power grid, PJM Interconnection and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, in how states go about procuring the electricity they need to keep the lights on for both residents and businesses...
Many participants at a state webinar Monday argued against abandoning what has been a successful regional approach to buying power, a framework that has led to savings for energy consumers and increased reliability of the power grid.
“The best path for states is to remain in the wholesale competitive markets,’’ said Jeff Dennis of Advanced Energy Economy, a trade group representing energy companies in the clean-energy sector...
Read the full NJ Spotlight News piece here (also appears on WHYY here).