This substack post examines the decision points and failures of PJM (regional power transmission organization) costing Maryland ratepayers billions of dollars in order to keep obsolete coal plants running, illustrating the costly intersection of aging infrastructure, delayed transmission upgrades, and regional energy policy.
Posted by LameBicycle
2 Comments
1. Why is this relevant for r/neoliberal?
This article is a case study in market externalities and institutional failure, two core themes of the sub. It highlights how the failures led to a “market capture” scenario where Maryland ratepayers are essentially being held hostage to subsidize uneconomic, polluting coal plants for grid reliability.
2. What do you think people should discuss about it?
The most interesting tension here is the conflict between state-level climate goals and regional grid governance (PJM). Discussion should focus on whether the failures described are a result of market design, governance approach, or a combination of these and others.
!ping ECO&GET-LIT