TRENTON, N.J.: MAREC Action issued the following statement in response to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities’ decision to pursue an agreement with PJM Interconnection to terminate the State Agreement Approach transmission projects:
“The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities’ difficult decision to seek termination of New Jersey’s State Agreement Approach to proactive transmission planning for offshore wind is a symptom of fundamental infrastructure problems in this country and not a failure of New Jersey policymaking,” said Evan Vaughan, Executive Director of MAREC Action. “Long-term electric grid upgrades, like those proposed in the State Agreement Approach, too often fall victim to federal policy whiplash, permitting holdups, and systemic cost-allocation flaws which can result in investment costs not equitably distributed to all regional ratepayers who benefit. These transmission projects would have saved consumers approximately $900 million relative to the status quo–a free-for-all where new generation projects plug into the grid wherever they can. We appreciate the hard work put into this forward-thinking initiative by the NJBPU, its staff, and PJM. Their efforts will not go to waste, as we believe PJM’s proposal to implement FERC Order 1920 will, if agreed to by the PJM states and approved by FERC, soon offer another opportunity to plan transmission in a more consumer-friendly way.”
Learn more about the State Agreement Approach through the NJBPU: https://www.nj.gov/bpu/about/divisions/ferc/saa.html
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MAREC Action (informally, “Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition”) is a non-profit advocacy organization representing over 50 utility-scale solar, wind, and battery storage developers and manufacturers dedicated to the growth and development of renewable energy across the PJM grid region. MAREC Action is a leading voice for competitive large-scale clean energy developers and owner-operators in Virginia.