FERC has directed PJM to revise and delay its proposed Reliability Backstop Procurement, raising concerns about whether the special capacity procurement would properly assign costs to the large loads driving the need for new power.

The commission delayed the procurement for five months and said PJM must do more to ensure costs are allocated to the customers responsible for creating them. FERC also questioned PJM’s proposed collateral requirements and directed the grid operator to use more current load forecasts when determining how costs are assigned.

“FERC is asking the right questions about who is driving these costs and who should be responsible for paying them,” said Lindsey Short, managing director of advocacy and energy services at the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA). “Existing customers should not become the backstop for speculative load growth. Better forecasting and clear cost responsibility have to come first.”

The order keeps the backstop procurement alive while putting two issues OMA has repeatedly emphasized at the center of the debate. Forecasts need to reflect demand that is likely to materialize, and new demand should bear the costs it creates. 9/30/2026