PJM fast track approves first 2.1 GW: Engie storage, LS Power gas uprate
Serguey Asael Shinder2 min readPJM Interconnection said on 8 October that it has approved the first three projects under its Expedited Interconnection Track — 2.1 GW in total, according to Utility Dive's report of the grid operator's announcement.
The three projects:
- Engie, Crawford County, Pennsylvania: an 860 MW battery storage project.
- Engie, Morrow County, Ohio: an 800 MW battery storage project.
- LS Power, Hunterstown, Pennsylvania: a 455 MW uprate of the existing 810 MW combined-cycle gas plant, which LS Power bought from Platinum Equity in 2024.
PJM expects all three online by mid-2029. Storage is therefore almost four-fifths of the first fast-track cohort, nearly 1.7 GW.
What the track is. FERC approved the process in June, and PJM opened the application window on 31 July. It is meant for projects larger than 250 MW, backed by a primary siting authority, that can start operating within three years. PJM will consider up to 10 requests a year, and the track expires at the end of 2027 — it is a temporary bypass of the regular, years-long queue, not a replacement for it.
Why it exists. PJM faces tight supply after years of little new generation, while planned data centres push its demand forecasts up — the combination behind the sharp rise in PJM capacity prices and higher bills in parts of its footprint. The fast track sits alongside a pending reliability backstop procurement for new generation, changes to surplus interconnection service so new plants can reuse existing grid connections, and the broader reform of generator interconnection.
What to watch. Ten slots a year is small against PJM's demand growth, so the composition matters: the first cohort shows developers bringing batteries and uprates of existing plants — the resources that can actually meet a three-year deadline while new gas turbines face long manufacturer backlogs. Whether the 2029 dates hold will be the test of the track.
Source: Utility Dive, "PJM approves fast-track interconnection for 2.1 GW from Engie, LS Power", 9 October 2026, reporting PJM's 8 October announcement — https://www.utilitydive.com/news/engie-ls-power-pjm-expedited-interconnection-eit/832613