IN Brief:
- Pennsylvania DEP has issued an RFI for generation and storage projects that could qualify for state sponsorship under PJM’s proposed Expedited Interconnection Track.
- PJM’s proposed process would allow up to ten eligible large projects a year to secure interconnection agreements within ten months.
- Proposed minimum requirements include 250MW UCAP, full site control, and commercial operation within three years of EIT request submission.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has issued a request for information on large-scale generation and storage projects that could qualify for state sponsorship under PJM Interconnection’s proposed Expedited Interconnection Track.
The move is intended to identify projects that could enter service quickly and add new capacity to the grid through a faster connection route. PJM has indicated that it aims to open the proposed EIT process by August 2026, with the track designed to allow up to ten eligible large projects each year to secure Generator Interconnection Agreements within ten months of application.
Under the proposed framework set out in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, projects would need to meet a minimum accredited unforced capacity threshold of 250MW, be capable of commercial operation within three years of EIT request submission, and have full site control for the facility, interconnection assets, and interconnection switchyard at the point of submission. Both generation and storage projects are eligible to respond, including solar, wind, advanced thermal units, hybrid facilities, and battery energy storage systems.
DEP is also seeking information from projects that do not currently meet the proposed requirements, with the aim of identifying barriers to deployment and potential opportunities for future policy or financing support. The RFI also asks respondents to set out how projects could advance wider state priorities, including workforce development, community engagement, and lower-carbon approaches where combustion-based generation is involved.
The full notice is available in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. DEP said written responses are due by 5 June 2026 and will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with pre-submittal questions also accepted via email for developers preparing projects for the proposed fast-track route.
