Author: Ronald Bethea Published:5/11/2026 The Online Digital Podcast-Radio-YouTube TV Network
Please Click On Link Below Watch Mondays Press Conference
CBS News Baltimore
Release Date: May 13, 2026
Press Release
Contact: 202.246.4924 ******** Email:info@positivechangepc.com
Good morning my Name is Ronald Bethea, I’m the Founder of The Positive Change Purchasing Cooperative LLC. and for the past 5 years I have served as President of the National Association of Blacks in Solar (NABS). I presently serve as Chairman of the Directors I also An Energy Advisor with Think Energy.
First would like to thank The Chesapeake Climate Action Network and Maryland League of Conservation Voters for hosting this press conference and allowing me to speak for a few minutes.
I would like to open my statement by congratulating all of our 2026 graduates. But I would like to share a story about my nice Aja Mcleod. You see Aja suffered and struggled with asthma her entire life. Aja loved to dance while celebrating her college graduation party from Bowie State University. Aja had an asthma attack and died this rocked the very foundation of our family. So, this is way I do this work
The slow pace of the PJM Interconnection queue has fundamentally stalled community and utility-scale solar development across its 13-state region, with nearly 95% of backlogged projects being wind , solar, or battery storage.
The delay in connecting new solar and wind projects to the grid is a major driver of the recent “price shock” in the PJM region. The impacts on consumer rate payers are the following:
PJM historic price jump which occurred in the 2025/2026 delivery year saw prices skyrocketing from $28.92 to $269.92 per megawatt-day due to a severe tightening supply-demand balance and significant demand caused a capacity prices to jump nearly 900% for 2025/2026 delivery year the capacity cost to consumers is projected to reach $14.7 billion, up from $2.2 billion in the previous auction
Key Impact Drivers:
High Price Scarcity: A 2025 GridLab analysis found that if just 10% of the stalled renewable energy projects had been built consumers could have saved $3.5 billion in capacity cost.
Soaring Demand from Data Centers: The PJM 13 states and District of Columbia there are 550 to 600 Data Centers with the state of Virgina leading the way with over 300 Data Centers already online. With cost to 67,000.00 utility ratepayers across the 13-state region was $ 9.3 billion and data centers accounted for 63% of the total price rise in 2025/2026 delivery year.
Retirement of Fossil Fuel Generation
Interconnection Delays
Declining Reserve Margins
PJM Market Rule Changes
Increased Reliability Requirements
While PJM has recently processed more than 811 new generation projects under its new reformed “first-ready, first -serves” model, historical delays of 7 to 8 years have already caused significant economic and developmental.
If all 811 these new projects presently in PJM queue were built and successfully uplinked to the grid they would generate 220 gigawatts of electricity. This is enough power roughly 165 million to 220 million average homes across the 13 states and District of Columbia.
When solar projects stall in the PJM Interconnection queue, Maryland Community Solar Programs struggle to connect to grid. This backlog limits the supply available solar generation causing subscriber organizations. To hit developmental bottlenecks, thereby restricting consumers access, delay financial saving hindering state clean energy targets.
A quick overview of Maryland Community Solar Program.
The pilot began in June 2017 and January 1, 2025, Maryland transitioned to a permanent program. By the end of polit During the 8-year transition period. The Maryland Public Service Commission approved 40 Community Solar Subscription companies to operate in the state of Maryland. Those companies have already enrolled 30,000 rate payers as subscribers which is about 10 % of the 300,000-state capacity for Maryland Community Solar Program.
Maryland Energy Subscriber Benefits
Free to sign up
Guaranteed Saving 10% to 25% of electricity bill
Available to any who pays a electrify bill to their local electricity company.
No renewable contracts
Lock in a fixed rate FOR 20 years
No fees if you decide to next the program
40% of the Maryland State Subscription Program must go to LI residents after their income with their local utility company LI resident qualify for and addition 5% rate reduction on their electricity bills.
Maryland Income Eligibility requirement: 2026 Not to exceed 100% of the statewide medium living in that household.
1 person $71,194
2 people $81,364
3.people $91,535
4.people $101,705
- people $109,842
Enclosing: We all know we have a national affordability crisis in America. I’m putting out a call to a national challenge to get following organizations:
- The Pacifica Foundation: Which operates five major radio stations and 200 independent affiliates
- HBCU Radio Networks which works with 29 radio stations.
- University Station Alliance that works with 155 radio stations
- Public Media Content Collective
- National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA)
To provide more radio shows and news articles to educate 67 million utility rate payers residing in the PJM market areas. On our Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) PJM their 1000 members and their 400 voting members that vote on energy policy. Which dictates transmission capacity and market auctions prices, which directly impact consumers electricity rates and our health and wellbeing on this planet. We must come together with strategies to fight back.
Quote by the Late Calvin Rollack Founder of Washington Informer Newspaper
“BECAUSE NOBODY IS COMING TO SAVE US BUT US AND IF IT IS TO BE IT’S UP TO ME”
get.thinkenergy.com/SolarNowandTheFuture