Spiking capacity prices in PJM have PPL and Exelon pushing for a potential return to utility-owned generation in Pennsylvania, which three former PUC chairs warned would be harmful to consumers.

The Members Committee was sharply divided on an agreement in principle between PJM and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to institute a cap and floor on capacity prices for the 2026/27 Base Residual Auction and the following auction.

PJM announced it will seek to establish a $325/MW-day price cap on capacity prices and a $175/MW-day floor for the 2026/27 and 2027/28 Base Residual Auctions following discussions with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to resolve a complaint he filed over increased capacity costs.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro urged PJM Chair Mark Takahashi to “intervene with” RTO leadership to revise the design of the capacity market before conducting the 2026/27 BRA to avoid an “unacceptable” increase in capacity market prices.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro filed a complaint with FERC on behalf of the state asking the commission to revise how the maximum clearing price in PJM's capacity auction is determined.

Pennsylvania regulators hosted several panels to discuss PJM's tightening reserve margins and how the PUC should respond to the situation, which at least promises more high prices in the near future before new supplies can come online.

The dispute between Exelon and Constellation Energy continued to play out in FERC, as the latter and others protested a series of filings from the former’s utilities seeking to implement new rules for co-locating data centers at power plants in their territories

Exelon on Sept. 30 filed a petition for a declaratory order from FERC on its dispute with Constellation Energy over the latter’s effort to co-locate major loads at two of its nuclear plants.