The US’ largest regional transmission operator (RTO), PJM Interconnection, has submitted a new proposal to allow new generators to bypass the traditional interconnection queue.

The Expedited Interconnection Track (EIT) proposal will be open to projects that have a capacity of more than 500MW. The projects can be of any fuel type, including battery storage systems, and must be sponsored by a state within the PJM coverage area.

PJM stated that the projects must be “capacity resources,” meaning they must request Capacity Interconnection Rights simultaneously with the EIT application. The EIT projects will also be mandated to achieve commercial operations within three years of submitting their application.

The EIT will be a standalone process, separate from the standard interconnection process, and will operate in parallel. Proposals can be submitted at any time, with no defined application windows. In addition, applications will be capped annually at ten projects.

Due to capacity requirements, applications are likely to come predominantly from natural gas and nuclear projects, especially given the proposed cuts to renewable energy by the current Trump-led administration.

PJM has stated that the output of any EIT resource will be limited until the transmission upgrades are in place, which could lead to them coming online significantly later than the three-year window prescribed.

The proposal is not PJM’s first effort to fast-track new generation assets onto its grid. In May, the RTO selected 51 projects to take part in its interconnection review process. The projects have a combined capacity of 11.8GW, with gas-fired generation making up 69 percent, followed by battery energy storage (BESS) at 19 percent, nuclear at 12 percent, and coal at 0.1 percent.

PJM, which serves all or parts of 15 states across the eastern coast of the US, is facing serious supply shortfalls across its footprint, driven by skyrocketing demand from the data center sector.

In August, the RTO forecast that peak load across its footprint would grow 32GW from 2024 to 2030, with 30GW from data centers.

Ratepayers across its service area have begun to face significant price hikes due to the growth of data centers. In the RTO’s latest capacity auction, wholesale electric capacity grew 22 percent compared to last year, leading to bills potentially increasing by more than five percent over the next year. Ohio has been particularly impacted, with average residential bills in the city of Columbus set to increase by $27 a month.