Gridiculous 2024 - Brighten Report

It's Just Gridiculous!

Our Power Grid is Outdated

We all need electricity service we can count on and a monthly bill we can afford. But our power grid is outdated, and it’s getting in the way. It’s just not ready to allow more of today’s lowest-cost energy sources to be built and deliver the benefits we need.

Investing in Clean Energy and Transmission Is a Win for Labor and Workers

Investing in Clean Energy and Transmission Can Strengthen Our Power Grid

Investing in Clean Energy and Transmission Can Save Us Money

We Need Dependable Power

Our communities need power we can count on, but our region has been slow to act, earning a D+ rating for our stalled transmission planning and buildout. A modern power grid that shares energy across regions is the key to dependable electricity service, and building new transmission lines allows us to connect many more solar, wind, and battery storage projects. Strengthening our grid means that if any power sources are experiencing problems in one place, grid operators can bring in power from farther away, where generation isn’t affected—keeping our lights and AC on when we need them.

We Need Access to Lowest-Cost Electricity

The lowest-cost energy in the United States? Experts say solar panels and wind turbines are now the cheapest sources of electricity in the country, beating out coal and methane gas in almost every region of the country. But to connect to these low-cost energy sources, we’ll need to upgrade the electric grid—because it’s too outdated and congested to bring these sources online. The grid congestion itself is costly to consumers too—$2.5 billion in 2022 alone! By building new transmission lines and connecting to clean energy sources, we can save consumers money.

We Want Jobs and Real Economic Development

Building transmission lines, and installing wind turbines, solar panels, and battery storage creates well-compensated jobs that benefit whole communities. There are more than 3 million Americans working in clean energy, energy-efficiency, and grid-modernization industries, and that number is increasing. Just one battery-manufacturing plant in West Virginia, built with union workers, is expected to employ 750 people at an average wage of $63,000 per year. And each of those jobs is expected to create two more within the community. Every community that wants it should have a chance for these kinds of jobs—but officials need to move a lot faster to upgrade our power grid to make that possible.

Why isn’t our power grid ready to bring us these benefits?

Power grid operator PJM Interconnection outside of Philadelphia is lagging behind on its job of modernizing our power grid to connect new energy sources across Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, and other states in our region. Until PJM takes action to update our power grid, our communities will continue missing out on these benefits. State energy regulators and elected officials can help push PJM to move faster—and your voice is vital.

Send a message today to get officials moving on the grid we need for reliable electricity, jobs, and lowest-cost power.