Gov. Pritzker Continues Push for PJM Accountability and Governance Reform
Governor calls for stronger state oversight and ratepayer protection as severe storms underscore the need for grid reliability
August 26, 2026
CHICAGO — Governor JB Pritzker is continuing his push to reform PJM by joining Governors across the region in filing detailed recommendations with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to make the grid operator more accountable, transparent, and responsive to the public.
The latest action builds on Governor Pritzker’s ongoing calls for reform and comes as severe storms and power outages across the region underscore the importance of a reliable, resilient, and affordable electric grid.
PJM is the regional organization responsible for managing the flow of electricity across all or parts of 13 states, including northern Illinois. Its decisions affect the reliability of the electric grid and the electricity costs paid by millions of families and businesses.
“Families should not have to worry whether the power will stay on during severe weather or whether their electric bills will continue to climb because of decisions made behind closed doors,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I have consistently called on PJM to become more transparent and accountable to the people it serves. States deserve a meaningful voice and ensure that PJM operates for the public interest and that reliability and affordability come before the interests of utilities and power generators.”
The proposed reforms would:
- Give states a stronger voice by adding state representatives to the committee that nominates PJM board members and allowing states to submit alternative proposals on major reliability and transmission decisions.
- Increase transparency and accountability by making board votes and more meetings public and by requiring PJM to act in the public interest, not the interest of private companies.
- Improve decision-making by reforming PJM’s stakeholder process to reduce gridlock and deliver solutions more quickly.
The need for stronger regional coordination is especially clear as severe storms have tested the electric systems across the region this summer. Families in Indiana continue to have no access to power following the storms. While no electric grid can prevent every weather-related outage, Governor Pritzker has taken steps to strengthen reliability and protect consumers by holding down utility profit margins and tying profit more closely to performance, returning billions of dollars to customers when power prices rise through Carbon Mitigation Credit Program, and advancing grid reforms expected to save ratepayers $13.4 billion over the next two decades.
This filing builds on Governor Pritzker’s ongoing efforts to hold PJM accountable and protect Illinois ratepayers. Earlier this year, the Governor joined a bipartisan group of nine governors in calling for broad governance reforms at PJM and worked with governors across the region to fix flaws in PJM’s capacity market that drove record-high electricity prices. Most recently, Governor Pritzker joined that same coalition in calling on PJM to ensure data centers pay their fair share of the costs they impose on the grid and strengthen protections for consumers.
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