What is PJM?
PJM Interconnection · serves 13 states + DC, ~65 million people
PJM is the largest power market in the Americas, coordinating electricity for roughly 65 million people across all or part of 13 states and the District of Columbia, from Illinois to the Mid-Atlantic. It sits inside the Eastern Interconnection, the synchronised AC grid that covers the eastern two-thirds of North America.
PJM is where the data-center boom is hitting hardest: Northern Virginia's 'Data Center Alley' sits squarely in PJM territory, and the interconnection queue of new generators waiting to plug in has become a national bottleneck. PJM runs a capacity market alongside its energy market, paying generators to be available years ahead, not just to run today.
- Type
- RTO (regional transmission organisation)
- Region
- 13 states + DC
- People served
- ~65 million
- Market
- Energy + capacity, nodal LMP
Frequently asked questions
What is PJM?
PJM Interconnection is the regional grid operator for 13 eastern US states and Washington DC. It's the largest wholesale electricity market in the Americas, serving about 65 million people.
Why does PJM matter for data centers?
Northern Virginia, the densest concentration of data centers on Earth, is in PJM. The surge in computing demand is straining PJM's interconnection queue and driving up capacity prices.