(The Center Square) — Pennsylvania sits at the heart of the 13-state electric grid called PJM.
That means the state’s role in generating power to keep the lights on in neighboring states is crucial. But a report warns that recent government policy choices have weakened the grid, making it more vulnerable to disruptions.
A potential power shortage could hit by 2030 if more problems mount.
“It’s an issue in Washington and it’s an issue in various state capitals,” said Ken Zapinski, director of research and public policy at Pittsburgh Works Together, which published the report warning that the PJM grid is “in peril.”
PJM works as a middleman of sorts; it plans for the future and coordinates the marketplace where utilities and consumers buy electricity across 13 states and Washington, DC. States like Pennsylvania, Illinois and West Virginia generate more electricity than they use, which states like Ohio and Virginia buy up, keeping the lights on for 65 million people.
However, the growing demand for power, roadblocks to building more generation and transmission lines, and a lack of authority or responsibility for certain problems are causing frustrations.