As PJM Reopens Interconnection Queue, Experts Warn Damage to Maryland’s Clean Energy Plans Is Already Done

Why It Matters

The queue delay has stalled state decarbonization plans and forced ratepayers to shoulder costs of aging fossil‑fuel plants, while the new project mix leans toward gas, slowing the transition to clean power.

Key Takeaways

• PJM received 811 projects totaling 220 GW; gas supplies 105.8 GW.
• Renewable projects lost 95% of 300 GW backlog during queue closure.
• Maryland’s 100% clean power by 2035 goal now jeopardized.
• New “first‑ready‑first‑served” process may still take 1‑2 years.

Pulse Analysis

The PJM Interconnection serves 67 million customers across 13 states and D.C., making its interconnection queue a critical bottleneck for new generation. After closing the queue in 2022 to address a 300‑GW backlog, PJM’s four‑year hiatus left thousands of renewable and storage proposals stranded. Developers who could not secure timely studies saw financing evaporate, and many withdrew, erasing a wave of low‑cost solar and wind that had been slated for construction before federal tax credits lapsed. This loss reverberates beyond PJM’s footprint, directly affecting states with aggressive clean‑energy mandates.

Maryland’s climate law requires 100% clean electricity by 2035 and net‑zero emissions by 2045. The interconnection logjam coincided with the Trump administration’s rollback of federal clean‑energy incentives, compounding the state’s challenges. Analysts estimate that the delay forced Maryland ratepayers to rely on reliability‑must‑run payments to keep coal units like Brandon Shores online, costing hundreds of millions of dollars through at least 2028. Without the displaced renewable capacity, the state’s ability to meet its Renewable Portfolio Standard and avoid higher wholesale prices is severely constrained.

PJM’s newly announced “first‑ready‑first‑served” framework aims to batch projects and apply stricter readiness criteria, potentially trimming study times from two years to a year. Yet the queue now contains 811 projects, and the average study still exceeds the 150‑day FERC benchmark. If PJM can prioritize storage and solar—technologies that can be built quickly—it may alleviate near‑term reliability concerns and reduce reliance on gas‑heavy peakers slated for the mid‑2030s. Policymakers, however, must complement grid reforms with streamlined permitting and sustained federal tax credits to ensure that the lost renewable pipeline can be rebuilt before Maryland’s 2035 deadline.