The following is a statement from CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz on the results of PJM Interconnection’s 2027-28 capacity auction, announced Wednesday, Dec. 17 (Read the full statement here.) After a third straight auction marked by unacceptably high prices, it is painfully obvious that our capacity market is breaking under…...
CUB Q&A: PJM’s Critical Issue Fast Path (CIFP) Policy Proposal on Data Centers
What’s happening? On Wednesday, November 19, PJM members will vote on how to integrate data centers into the grid. As we’ve detailed elsewhere, data centers require massive amounts of electricity and drive up consumer costs. Some, but not all, proposals would ensure that data centers only connect to the electric…...
PJM Capacity Auction Leads to Record Price Spike for Second Straight Year, Threatens Even Higher Com Ed Bills in 2026-27
CUB released the following statement: While we are relieved that the negotiated price cap prevented capacity costs from soaring even higher, this record price spike is unacceptable. CUB is deeply concerned that ComEd customers will continue to bear painfully high costs for another year, largely because of policy shortcomings from…...
ComEd’s Hourly Pricing: How to calculate your capacity charge
Want to estimate your capacity charge before signing up for ComEd’s Hourly Pricing program? Here’s how to calculate it: 1. Go to this page: https://secure.comed.com/MyAccount/MyService/Pages/UsageDataTool.aspx, choose “View Summary Data Online,” and “Add” your ComEd account number. 2. Click “View Usage Data” and it’ll take you to a results screen showing vital…...
PJM broke the capacity auction–but here’s how they can fix it
By Clara Summers, Campaign Manager Consumers for a Better Grid (a project of CUB) The electricity price for Illinois’ largest power utility, Commonwealth Edison, will go up significantly next summer because of a recent auction to secure reserve power. Grid operator PJM announced that its recent “capacity” auction sent prices…...
$10.3B renewable energy transmission project long-term response to capacity shortage
The power grid operator for Central and Southern Illinois has approved a $10.3 billion transmission line project that in the long term will bring more clean energy to the region and help prevent problems that have slammed electric customers with skyrocketing power bills this summer. The project, approved by the…...
With energy prices skyrocketing, advocates urge power grid operator to stop delays on new generation
Illinois legislative leaders and CUB are urging the power grid operator in Central and Southern Illinois to fast track renewable energy projects that could reliably power 4.5 million homes and help relieve energy problems in the region. At a news conference July 21, legislative leaders criticized the Midcontinent Independent System…...
CUB fights for consumers before the nation’s largest power grid operator
UPDATE: The proposal to require one PJM board member to have clean energy expertise was rejected 52-21 after Dayton Power and Light and NRG requested a suspension of the rules to make the vote anonymous. CUB Executive Director David Kolata said “It’s illuminating that fossil fuel generators pushed to make…...
