By Frank Brill, EnviroPolitics Editor

The PJM Interconnection is sitting on one of the largest backlogs of clean‑energy projects in the country — and a major portion of it is finally ready to move. More than 50 gigawatts of solar, wind, and battery storage have now cleared PJM’s approval process, according to Canary Media. The milestone marks a turning point for a region that has struggled for years to connect new resources fast enough to keep pace with rising demand, especially from data centers.

But approval is only the first step. Now it’s up to states and utilities to ensure these projects get built, sited, financed, and interconnected. Without that follow‑through, the region risks continuing the cycle of delays that have slowed the transition to cleaner, more reliable power.

At the same time, PJM is taking another run at a key reform to speed up the queue. As Utility Dive reports, the grid operator is proposing a second attempt at a rule change that would allow new generators to connect using spare capacity at existing substations and transmission facilities. The idea is simple: if there’s unused headroom already on the system, developers shouldn’t have to wait years or pay for major upgrades just to tap into it.

If adopted, the reform could shave months — even years — off interconnection timelines and reduce costs for renewable developers. It would also help PJM better manage the surge of projects seeking to come online as electrification accelerates and data‑center demand continues to soar.

Together, the two developments show a grid operator under pressure but finally making progress: tens of gigawatts of clean energy ready to build, and a renewed push to modernize the rules that determine how quickly new power can reach the system. For policymakers, utilities, and developers, the challenge now is execution — turning approvals and reforms into steel in the ground and electrons on the grid.

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