This week, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (IL-17) and 19 of their Democratic colleagues sent a letter to Manu Asthana, President and CEO of PJM Interconnection, to urge a delay in PJM’s annual capacity auctions so states can mitigate the expansion of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)’s Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR) and understand how this decision will impact consumers. FERC’s recent decision directs PJM, which provides electricity to 65 million customers, to create an artificial floor for how much clean energy like wind, solar and nuclear cost—which the Members of Congress worry will dramatically increase energy rates and threaten a burgeoning clean energy market.
In part, the letter reads: “According to FERC Commissioner Richard Glick, who opposes the MOPR, this rule will push clean energy generation out of the PJM capacity market and artificially restrict energy supply. The result will be increased costs in the market by at least $2.4 billion annually. Our concern is that these costs will be borne by the most vulnerable among us.”
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Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined Duckworth and Bustos in sending today’s letter, as did U.S. Representatives Anthony Brown (MD-04), Matt Cartwright (PA-08), Sean Casten (IL-06), Danny Davis (IL-07), Mike Doyle (PA-18), Bill Foster (IL-11), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02), Brad Schneider (IL-10), Bobby Scott (VA-03), Abigail Spanberger (VA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05).
A full copy of the letter is available online here.
