Maryland regulators press PJM interconnection on brownouts
The Maryland Public Service Commission, which oversees utility regulation, requested Terry Boston, president and chief executive for PJM Interconnection LLC, hold a reliability summit “as soon as possible.” State regulators say Maryland could face brownouts by 2011 or 2012.
The PSC said the meetings should update leaders on the expected region-wide shortages, what states like Maryland could face, and what steps PJM is taking to mitigate the reliability issues.
“Taking control of our electricity future requires us not only to pursue additional capacity in Maryland, as we already are, but also to work together with other affected states and PJM,” said PSC Chairman Douglas Nazarian.
The PSC held its own hearings Oct. 3 on the stateÂ’s power reliability and potential for new power generation. The hearing included testimony from electric companies with business in Maryland including Baltimore Gas & Electric, PEPCO, and Delmarva Power & Light Co.; generators and wholesale energy suppliers including Mirant Mid-Atlantic LLC and CPV Maryland LLC; large industrial customers like Severstal Sparrows Point; retail suppliers; state energy agencies; and the Office of the PeopleÂ’s Counsel, which represents ratepayers.
Related News

Quebec and other provinces heading toward electricity shortage: report
MONTREAL - Quebec and other provinces in central and eastern Canada are heading toward a significant shortage of electricity to respond to the various needs of a transition to renewable energy.
This is according to Polytechnique Montréal’s Institut de l’énergie Trottier, which published a report titled A Strategic Perspective on Electricity in Central and Eastern Canada last week.
The white paper says that at the current rate, most provinces will be incapable of meeting the electricity needs created by the increase in the number of electric vehicles and the decarbonization of building heating by 2030. “The situation worsens if we consider carbon…