PJM's 2027/2028 Base Residual Auction cleared at the maximum price for the second consecutive year. For commercial and industrial (C&I) facilities, capacity costs have climbed 24% over two years—from $98,521/MW-yr in 25/26 to $122,039/MW-yr in 27/28.

The good news? The value of demand response has increased alongside capacity costs. Businesses can now access $112k/MW-yr in demand response revenue through PJM's Emergency Load Response Program (ELRP). 

Why prices keep rising

The grid is facing an unprecedented supply-demand imbalance. Data center growth alone could create a 34 GW grid deficit by 2032 according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, while PJM is currently short approximately 6.3 GW of its reliability requirement. The result? The grid is relying on DR more heavily than ever to prevent blackouts.

The benefit of participation - real-world results

Manufacturing facility: Offset 55% of 25/26 PJM capacity costs, earning $75,000 in DR revenue. Voltus’s real-time performance visibility and curtailment expertise helped the facility identify which production lines could be temporarily adjusted during peak events without disrupting core operations.

Data Center: Provided 139 MW of capacity to the grid through a combination of load shifting and backup generation, earning $11 million in revenue and offsetting 87% of their capacity costs.

Take action now

A hard deadline is approaching: businesses must enroll in PJM’s Emergency Load Response Program by March 31, 2026.

Ready to assess your facility’s demand response potential? Reach out to info@voltus.co to get started.

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