The U.S. Department of Energy told federal regulators it backs a plan to make large electricity users on the PJM grid pay for the new power plants and infrastructure built to serve them. DOE filed a Notice of Intervention and Statement of Position with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on October 9, 2026, backing FERC's recommendation that PJM Interconnection LLC adopt a Reliability Backstop Procurement.
What FERC recommended
FERC recommends PJM submit revised tariff provisions covering cost allocation and other reforms. DOE said the recommendation lines up with President Trump's Ratepayer Protection Pledge, which calls for large electricity users to pay for the generation and infrastructure needed to serve them.
The run-up to the filing
The filing follows a call the Trump administration made in January 2026 for PJM to adopt market rules that strengthen grid reliability and lower electricity costs, part of a wider administration push on energy policy. The administration asked PJM to hold an emergency power auction and speed up development of reliable power generation. Governors from all 13 states in the PJM grid joined that call. Deputy Secretary James P. Danly said the administration recognized early warning signs of capacity shortfalls in PJM at the time.
What DOE officials said
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said DOE "supports having large electricity users pay for reliable new power generation." Danly said the proposed reforms aim at "preventing unjust cost shifts onto existing customers."
What the procurement would require
DOE said the urgent procurement it backs would:
- Make large load users pay for the new generation and infrastructure built to serve them
- Protect households and businesses from subsidizing those large loads
- Rely on accurate, transparent demand information
- Let large loads build, bring, or buy the capacity they need
DOE urged PJM to comply promptly with FERC's order and adopt durable market reforms that support reliable generation.
