Three Priorities
PJM’s three priorities are: keeping the lights on, administering the buying and selling of electricity through wholesale electricity markets, and assessing and planning for the future needs of the electric grid.
Power grid operators at PJM make real-time decisions that balance electricity supply and demand to keep the lights on across a 13-state region. To keep the power grid in balance, PJM continuously monitors the system, reacting to changes in electricity use, equipment problems, weather conditions and other factors to keep electricity flowing to customers when and where they need it. The Keeping the Lights On section explains PJM’s operations.
PJM’s planning process ensures that electricity will be available when you flip the switch for years into the future. PJM analyzes several different factors to see what changes or additions are needed – such as connecting new power lines or upgrading existing equipment – to ensure ongoing reliable power supplies for consumers. PJM’s annual Regional Transmission Expansion Plan determines changes likely to be needed up to 15 years into the future. Learn more in the Planning for the Future section.
Electricity is bought, sold and traded in wholesale and retail markets, which operate similarly to wholesale and retail markets for other products. PJM administers several different competitive wholesale market structures for large volumes of electricity across the region PJM serves. From the PJM wholesale market, electricity is then sold in smaller quantities through retail electricity providers to consumers, such as homes and businesses. Explore the Buying and Selling Energy section to learn more about PJM markets.