FirstEnergy Corp, Dominion Energy Virginia, and American Electric Power have signed a joint planning agreement to develop proposals for new regional transmission projects in the PJM market.

In September, the companies submitted their joint proposals through PJM's Regional Transmission Expansion Plan Open Window process. PJM, the regional transmission organization responsible for managing wholesale electricity distribution across a 13-state area that includes data center hotspot Virginia, is reviewing the proposed projects.

Dominion Power grid.JPG
Dominion Energy power grid – Sebastian Moss

These projects include the construction of several new 765kV, 500kV, and 345kV transmission lines across Virginia, Ohio, and West Virginia.

The projects are in the early stages of development. If successful, the companies would embark on a comprehensive, multi-year process that includes selecting routes, conducting environmental studies, engaging with local communities, securing state and local permits, and constructing the projects.

Mark Mroczynski, president of FirstEnergy Transmission, said of the proposal: "By drawing upon the combined experience of three leading transmission developers, we can take the proactive steps needed to build new infrastructure that will ensure our communities have the power they need for sustained health and economic growth in the future."

Ed Baine, president of Dominion Energy Virginia, added: "By leveraging the expertise and resources of three industry leaders whose transmission zones border one another, we're better able to develop superior and more cost-effective solutions required to effectively resolve reliability issues across the PJM region.”

Demand for electricity in the PJM region is increasing at an unprecedented rate, driven by the rapid growth of energy-intensive industries like data centers, the electrification of transportation and heating systems, and the rise of onshoring in manufacturing.

PJM holds the largest concentration of data centers globally, with more than 4GW in northern Virginia alone, constituting 25 percent of the US data center load.

Dominion expects to connect 15 more data centers to the grid in Virginia throughout 2024, after connecting 15 facilities last year totaling almost a gigawatt of capacity.