The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has rejected a request for an exemption from standard interconnection procedures on behalf of Advanced Power Services' proposed $2 billion natural gas-fired power plant in the PJM Interconnection territory. The agency determined that granting such a waiver would create competitive disadvantages for other developers seeking to bring projects online in the regional transmission organization.
According to FERC's rationale, allowing Advanced Power Services to bypass established fast-track review protocols would undermine the integrity of PJM's interconnection queue and set a problematic precedent for future applicants. The decision underscores regulators' commitment to maintaining uniform standards across the interconnection process, even for large-scale generation projects.