The rising opposition to the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project, a 67-mile, 500-kV transmission line, and general dissatisfaction with PJM and utility grid planning and interconnection policies, are driving new bills in the General Assembly.

Getting storage online in Maryland could be a critical piece of the solutions needed to address the sky-high capacity prices PJM recorded in its most recent auction, according to a panelist at a solar and storage conference.

Panels during the OPSI Annual Meeting discussed the 2025/26 capacity auction yielding an eightfold jump in prices, as well as possible changes to the subsequent auction.

The PJM Board of Managers and Monitoring Analytics are seeking a resolution by the end of next month to negotiations on the company’s contract to serve as Independent Market Monitor.

FERC Order 1920 eventually may provide a structure for long-term, interregional transmission planning, but its anticipated yearslong implementation could mean states will have to lead in planning nearer-term transmission needs, according to a report from the American Council on Renewable Energy and The Brattle Group.

Debating the impact of FERC's Rule 1920, Abe Silverman of Johns Hopkins told states to "codify, codify, codify" their energy policy goals and policies to ensure PJM has to take them into account in compliance.

Both D.C. and Maryland have been working on rules to encourage and accelerate the installation of EV chargers, especially at multiunit dwellings and in low-income neighborhoods, as EV sales continue to grow steadily.

Pairing power-hungry data centers with clean energy resources is sparking mixed feelings among regulators, who say the grid already is straining with increased electrification and connecting new energy sources.