POLITICO Energy

Price surge and proposed fix spark chaos in PJM power market

Episode Summary

Grid operator PJM Interconnection's efforts to fix what it believes to be an error in its December auction is now dividing regulators, consumer advocates and power providers. PJM believed power prices for customers were artificially inflated, so it decided to delay posting the auction results and asked federal regulators to allow it to change the auction rules. But critics say that move could generate a potential windfall for power producers. POLITICO’s Catherine Morehouse breaks down the messy fight. Plus, EPA rejected applications to keep unlined coal ash ponds open at six power plants.

Episode Notes

Grid operator PJM Interconnection's efforts to fix what it believes to be an error in its December auction is now dividing regulators, consumer advocates and power providers. PJM believed power prices for customers were artificially inflated, so it decided to delay posting the auction results and asked federal regulators to allow it to change the auction rules. But critics say that move could generate a potential windfall for power producers. POLITICO’s Catherine Morehouse breaks down the messy fight. Plus, EPA rejected applications to keep unlined coal ash ponds open at six power plants.

 

Josh Siegel is an energy reporter for POLITICO. 

Catherine Morehouse is an energy reporter for POLITICO. 

Nirmal Mulaikal is a POLITICO audio host-producer.

Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.

Jenny Ament is the executive producer of POLITICO’s audio department.