PJM’s recommended Installed Reserve Margin (IRM) will increase slightly because of the increasing alignment of the RTO’s peak demand with demand outside of the region.

PJM will seek to set a limit on capacity imports before next year's Base Reliability Auction under a problem statement approved by the Planning Committee.

EIA: “In a highly populated area that requires significant backup power in reserve, it may be more cost-effective to upgrade the transmission system”

The MRC reviewed two alternative wind capacity calculations to protect wind generators from being assigned artificially depressed capacity values due to curtailments ordered by PJM.

The PJM MRC approved agenda items 2, 4 and 5 unanimously Thursday, August 29, 2013. See story for issue, reason for changes, and impact.

Members will consider rules allowing batteries, flywheels and other advanced energy storage technologies to participate in the PJM capacity market.

Constraints that can be quickly and cheaply resolved would be included in the Regional Transmission Expansion Plan (RTEP) under a proposal the MRC endorsed Thursday after a lengthy discussion. The proposal was approved over the objections of five members, who said it could result in wasteful spending.

Panda Power Funds, a Texas-based private equity fund, last week announced two big investments in PJM, proposing a plant in MD and purchasing rights to a planned generator in PA.

The PJM Market Monitor's mid-year report detailed rebounding energy prices and coal generation in the first half of 2013 as natural gas costs increased from record lows.

Two bipartisan bills signed by President Obama this month may open PJM to new generation from hydropower - a source many thought was fully exploited.