PJM Interconnection is in a race to shore up electric grid reliability as the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy accelerates. 
---

In February PJM Interconnection, the largest wholesale electricity market in the US, published a report that points to the very real possibility that electricity supply in the market could fall short of the level needed for reliable grid operation in just five years. The potential shortfall is tied to the pace of the energy transition, in which fossil fuel generators, and coal plants in particular, are retiring faster than they can be replaced by new clean and renewable generation.

The report has led to a flurry of activity in PJM, as its members rush headlong into a process to reform the way the market manages, and values the reliability that generators bring to the electricity system.

Abe Silverman, Director of the Non Technical Barriers to the Clean Energy Transition program at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, explores efforts underway in PJM to revise market rules to ensure that supply meets demand at all times, including during extreme weather events that have recently threatened the reliability of the grid. The resource adequacy challenges to be addressed are immensely complex, and extend beyond the fundamentals of energy technology to encompass the diverse economic and environmental priorities at play in the market and, more broadly, across the nation.

Abe Silverman is Director of the Non Technical Barriers to the Clean Energy Transition research and policy program at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. He is former General Counsel for the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.

Related Content

Wholesale Electricity Justice https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/wholesale-electricity-justice/ 

Massive Shift toward Solar Power Begins in Largest U.S. Electricity Market https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/massive-shift-toward-solar-power-begins-in-largest-u-s-electricity-market/ 

The Economics of Building Electrification https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-economics-of-building-electrification/ 



Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu

PJM Interconnection is in a race to shore up electric grid reliability as the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy accelerates. ---
In February PJM Interconnection, the largest wholesale electricity market in the US, published a report that points to the very real possibility that electricity supply in the market could fall short of the level needed for reliable grid operation in just five years. The potential shortfall is tied to the pace of the energy transition, in which fossil fuel generators, and coal plants in particular, are retiring faster than they can be replaced by new clean and renewable generation.
The report has led to a flurry of activity in PJM, as its members rush headlong into a process to reform the way the market manages, and values the reliability that generators bring to the electricity system.
Abe Silverman, Director of the Non Technical Barriers to the Clean Energy Transition program at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, explores efforts underway in PJM to revise market rules to ensure that supply meets demand at all times, including during extreme weather events that have recently threatened the reliability of the grid. The resource adequacy challenges to be addressed are immensely complex, and extend beyond the fundamentals of energy technology to encompass the diverse economic and environmental priorities at play in the market and, more broadly, across the nation.
Abe Silverman is Director of the Non Technical Barriers to the Clean Energy Transition research and policy program at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. He is former General Counsel for the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
Related Content
Wholesale Electricity Justice <a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/wholesale-electricity-justice/">https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/wholesale-electricity-justice/ </a>
Massive Shift toward Solar Power Begins in Largest U.S. Electricity Market <a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/massive-shift-toward-solar-power-begins-in-largest-u-s-electricity-market/">https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/massive-shift-toward-solar-power-begins-in-largest-u-s-electricity-market/ </a>
The Economics of Building Electrification <a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-economics-of-building-electrification/">https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-economics-of-building-electrification/ </a>
 
Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu

Energy Policy Now offers clear talk on the policy issues that define our relationship to energy and its impact on society and the environment. The series is produced by the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania and hosted by energy journalist Andy Stone. Join Andy in conversation with leaders from industry, government, and academia as they shed light on today's pressing energy policy debates.

Energy Policy Now

Energy Policy Now offers clear talk on the policy issues that define our relationship to energy and its impact on society and the environment. The series is produced by <a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/">the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy</a> at the University of Pennsylvania and hosted by energy journalist Andy Stone. Join Andy in conversation with leaders from industry, government, and academia as they shed light on today's pressing energy policy debates.

PJM Interconnection is in a race to shore up electric grid reliability as the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy accelerates.

Energy Transition Puts Grid Reliability to the Test 

As the nation’s reliance on natural gas as a fuel for electricity generation has grown, so have reliability challenges.

---

Over 40% of U.S. electricity is generated by gas-fired powerplants yet, double the role the fuel played two decades ago. Yet the past few years have exposed risks arising from our growing reliance on gas-fired generation.

Major power outages in Texas and the Eastern U.S. have highlighted the fact that gas generators are vulnerable to disruption of the natural gas supply networks that fuel them. And, while the electricity and natural gas systems have become increasingly interdependent, there remains surprisingly limited coordination of the planning, operation, and regulation of the two industries. This fact complicates efforts to address reliability concerns.

Seth Blumsack, director of the Center for Energy Law and Policy at Penn State University, discusses the challenge of coordinating the nation’s natural gas and electricity systems as gas has become the predominant fuel for generators, and a key balancing resource for intermittent renewable energy. Blumsack explains the growing interdependence of the nation’s natural gas and electricity networks, and explores efforts to address reliability concerns through better coordination of the systems.

Seth Blumsack is director of the Center for Energy Law and Policy at Penn State University.

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The Key to Electric Grid Reliability: Modernizing Governancehttps://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-key-to-electric-grid-reliability-modernizing-governance/

Coordinated Policy and Targeted Investment for an Orderly and Reliable Energy Transitionhttps://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/coordinated-policy-and-targeted-investment-for-an-orderly-and-reliable-energy-transition/



Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu

As the nation’s reliance on natural gas as a fuel for electricity generation has grown, so have reliability challenges.
---
Over 40% of U.S. electricity is generated by gas-fired powerplants yet, double the role the fuel played two decades ago. Yet the past few years have exposed risks arising from our growing reliance on gas-fired generation.
Major power outages in Texas and the Eastern U.S. have highlighted the fact that gas generators are vulnerable to disruption of the natural gas supply networks that fuel them. And, while the electricity and natural gas systems have become increasingly interdependent, there remains surprisingly limited coordination of the planning, operation, and regulation of the two industries. This fact complicates efforts to address reliability concerns.
Seth Blumsack, director of the Center for Energy Law and Policy at Penn State University, discusses the challenge of coordinating the nation’s natural gas and electricity systems as gas has become the predominant fuel for generators, and a key balancing resource for intermittent renewable energy. Blumsack explains the growing interdependence of the nation’s natural gas and electricity networks, and explores efforts to address reliability concerns through better coordination of the systems.
Seth Blumsack is director of the Center for Energy Law and Policy at Penn State University.
Related Content
<a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-key-to-electric-grid-reliability-modernizing-governance/">The Key to Electric Grid Reliability: Modernizing Governance</a> <a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-key-to-electric-grid-reliability-modernizing-governance/">https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-key-to-electric-grid-reliability-modernizing-governance/</a>
<a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/coordinated-policy-and-targeted-investment-for-an-orderly-and-reliable-energy-transition/">Coordinated Policy and Targeted Investment for an Orderly and Reliable Energy Transition</a>  <a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/coordinated-policy-and-targeted-investment-for-an-orderly-and-reliable-energy-transition/">https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/coordinated-policy-and-targeted-investment-for-an-orderly-and-reliable-energy-transition/</a>
 
Energy Policy Now is produced by <a href="http://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/">The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy</a> at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit <a href="http://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/">kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu</a>

As the nation’s reliance on natural gas as a fuel for electricity generation has grown, so have reliability challenges.

Power Struggle: The Electric Grid’s Natural Gas Challenge

Canary Media senior editor Eric Wesoff explains the latest in a history of solar PV trade disputes involving the U.S. and China, and what it could mean for the growth of solar power and domestic solar manufacturing. 
---

In April, a coalition of U.S. photovoltaics manufacturers petitioned the Department of Commerce to impose anti-dumping tariffs on solar panels from four Southeast Asian countries. The move is the latest in a long history of solar trade disputes involving China and, more recently, Chinese PV manufacturers operating throughout Asia.

Canary Media senior editor Eric Wesoff explains the foundations of the latest complaint, and how this case is substantively different from earlier trade disputes including the Auxin Solar case of 2022. He explores the competing priorities of the domestic solar manufacturing industry and solar project developers on the issue of tariffs, and how tensions within the industry create a Catch-22 for the Biden administration as it seeks to grow the solar industry through IRA incentives.

Eric Wesoff is senior editor at Canary Media, and former editor in chief at Greentech Media.

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California’s Solar Equity Challenge https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/californias-solar-equity-challenge/

The Key to Electric Grid Reliability: Modernizing Governance https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-key-to-electric-grid-reliability-modernizing-governance/ 

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu

Canary Media senior editor Eric Wesoff explains the latest in a history of solar PV trade disputes involving the U.S. and China, and what it could mean for the growth of solar power and domestic solar manufacturing. ---
In April, a coalition of U.S. photovoltaics manufacturers petitioned the Department of Commerce to impose anti-dumping tariffs on solar panels from four Southeast Asian countries. The move is the latest in a long history of solar trade disputes involving China and, more recently, Chinese PV manufacturers operating throughout Asia.
Canary Media senior editor Eric Wesoff explains the foundations of the latest complaint, and how this case is substantively different from earlier trade disputes including the Auxin Solar case of 2022. He explores the competing priorities of the domestic solar manufacturing industry and solar project developers on the issue of tariffs, and how tensions within the industry create a Catch-22 for the Biden administration as it seeks to grow the solar industry through IRA incentives.
Eric Wesoff is senior editor at Canary Media, and former editor in chief at Greentech Media.
Related Content
California’s Solar Equity Challenge <a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/californias-solar-equity-challenge/">https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/californias-solar-equity-challenge/</a>
The Key to Electric Grid Reliability: Modernizing Governance <a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-key-to-electric-grid-reliability-modernizing-governance/">https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-key-to-electric-grid-reliability-modernizing-governance/ </a>
Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu

Canary Media senior editor Eric Wesoff explains the latest in a history of solar PV trade disputes involving the U.S. and China, and what it could mean for the growth of solar power and domestic solar manufacturing.

Will Latest Solar Trade Dispute Impact U.S. Solar Growth?

Kleinman Center visiting scholar Severin Borenstein discusses California’s struggle to balance residential solar growth with electricity rate equity.

---

California’s residential solar market is at a critical inflection point after years of strong growth. Last year the state, which has more rooftop solar than any other, lowered the net metering rate that it pays solar households for the excess electricity that they feed into the electric grid. The policy change contributed to a steep decline in residential rooftop solar installations. This could complicate the state’s task of achieving 100% carbon free power in just over 20 years.

Yet the reasons behind California’s decision to reduce its solar subsidy are complex and reflect growing tensions over the private versus public costs of rooftop solar. These costs are particularly controversial in a state that already has among the highest electricity rates in the country, as well as aggressive targets for home electrification.

On the podcast Severin Borenstein, a Kleinman Center visiting scholar and faculty director of the Energy Institute at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, discusses California’s residential solar energy policies and the challenge of balancing equity, solar growth, and the pace of electrification. Borenstein also explores the lessons from California’s experience that might be applied to other states where rooftop solar power growth is poised to accelerate.

Severin Borenstein is a visiting scholar at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy and faculty director of the Energy Institute at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

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Overcoming Economic Barriers to Electrifying Everything (podcast) https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/overcoming-economic-barriers-to-electrifying-everything/

Residential Battery Storage: Reshaping the Way We Do Electricityhttps://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/residential-battery-storage-reshaping-the-way-we-do-electricity/



Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu.

Kleinman Center visiting scholar Severin Borenstein discusses California’s struggle to balance residential solar growth with electricity rate equity.
---
California’s residential solar market is at a critical inflection point after years of strong growth. Last year the state, which has more rooftop solar than any other, lowered the net metering rate that it pays solar households for the excess electricity that they feed into the electric grid. The policy change contributed to a steep decline in residential rooftop solar installations. This could complicate the state’s task of achieving 100% carbon free power in just over 20 years.
Yet the reasons behind California’s decision to reduce its solar subsidy are complex and reflect growing tensions over the private versus public costs of rooftop solar. These costs are particularly controversial in a state that already has among the highest electricity rates in the country, as well as aggressive targets for home electrification.
On the podcast Severin Borenstein, a Kleinman Center visiting scholar and faculty director of the Energy Institute at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, discusses California’s residential solar energy policies and the challenge of balancing equity, solar growth, and the pace of electrification. Borenstein also explores the lessons from California’s experience that might be applied to other states where rooftop solar power growth is poised to accelerate.
Severin Borenstein is a visiting scholar at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy and faculty director of the Energy Institute at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.
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<a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/overcoming-economic-barriers-to-electrifying-everything/">Overcoming Economic Barriers to Electrifying Everything</a> (podcast) <a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/overcoming-economic-barriers-to-electrifying-everything/">https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/overcoming-economic-barriers-to-electrifying-everything/</a>
<a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/residential-battery-storage-reshaping-the-way-we-do-electricity/">Residential Battery Storage: Reshaping the Way We Do Electricity</a> <a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/residential-battery-storage-reshaping-the-way-we-do-electricity/">https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/residential-battery-storage-reshaping-the-way-we-do-electricity/</a>
 
Energy Policy Now is produced by <a href="http://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/">The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy</a> at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit <a href="http://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/">kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu</a>.

Energy Transition Puts Grid Reliability to the Test

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