TRENTON, N.J. — A bipartisan coalition of governors from nine states has formally called on PJM Interconnection to enact governance reforms and allow direct state input in board appointments, citing rising energy costs and reliability concerns across the regional power grid.
In a joint letter sent Thursday, the governors of New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Tennessee urged the grid operator to fill current board vacancies with candidates proposed by member states. The governors also announced the formation of a new PJM Governors Group to strengthen interstate collaboration on transmission, affordability, and resource adequacy.
The letter follows recent leadership shakeups at PJM, including the dismissal of two board members and the pending departure of the CEO. Governors say these changes create an opportunity to increase state oversight of PJM, which manages electricity for over 67 million people in 13 states and Washington, D.C.
“Every decision that is made in Valley Forge drastically impacts us at home,” said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. “We must ensure that families and business owners have a clean and reliable power grid.”
The governors argue that current PJM operations have failed to respond to growing demand, increased connection delays for new resources, and contributed to rising consumer electricity prices.
“PJM undermines our efforts and lacks meaningful accountability to the very states it serves,” said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
Governor Wes Moore of Maryland added, “The failure to effectively manage our energy grid is not just an inconvenience—it’s a direct threat to our economic competitiveness and the financial well-being of Maryland families.”
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro called on PJM to select “thoughtful new Board members who will prioritize our states and the people we serve.”
The letter proposes a bipartisan slate of board candidates and urges PJM to reserve two board seats for individuals jointly recommended by the states. While PJM’s membership ultimately controls board appointments, the governors say their recommendations would bring needed transparency to governance.
The group is scheduled to meet with PJM officials next week to review nominations.
As grid reliability, affordability, and planning challenges intensify, the governors pledged continued joint action to reform PJM’s governance structure and ensure electricity market decisions reflect state-level priorities.
