PJM’s backstop delay: what to ask before setting a data-center property timeline

PJM did not begin its planned Reliability Backstop Procurement on September 30. In an update that day, the grid operator said the schedule would be reviewed and the actual timing remained to be determined. [1]

The change followed a September 29 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission order. FERC accepted the proposal for filing, suspended it for five months with a February 28, 2027 effective date subject to refund, and established further proceedings. Those are the order’s stated actions; they do not establish a date when electricity will become available to a particular property. [2]

What the backstop is intended to do

The Reliability Backstop Procurement is a proposed one-time process to secure additional electricity capacity. Capacity is a commitment from resources to be available to meet demand; it is different from a utility confirming service for an individual building. FERC’s order describes the proposal as addressing resource-adequacy challenges driven primarily by large new loads. [1][2]

For Pennsylvania property owners evaluating a data-center proposal, the immediate question is how the project’s assumptions depend on this unsettled schedule.

Demand is being checked, too

In a separate September 29 announcement, PJM described its annual review of large-load requests for the 2027 long-term forecast. It said utilities must supply additional information, including contract status, to help establish firm commitments. The requests primarily concern data centers, but can include other high-use customers. [3]

These are two distinct pieces of work: reviewing expected demand and arranging additional supply. Neither announcement is a site-specific service commitment.

A practical checklist for property discussions

The following questions are planning analysis, not a determination about any Lancaster County site:

- **What power evidence exists today?** Ask the serving utility to identify what has been studied, what remains conditional and what written commitments apply.
- **Which dates depend on outside decisions?** Separate the proposed property closing, utility upgrades, equipment delivery and operating start. Ask which assumptions would need revisiting if procurement timing changes.
- **Who is responsible for each unresolved item?** Identify the project team member handling utility coordination, engineering and agreement review.
- **What supports nearby space demand?** A contractor considering warehouse or flex space should establish its actual work requirements and timing before treating a proposed data center as committed business.

PJM’s update is a reason to check the schedule behind a property proposal. It is not enough to establish a local project's viability or forecast Lancaster rents. The useful next step is a clear record of the project’s confirmed milestones and outstanding dependencies.

Status checked October 5, 2026 against the linked primary announcements and order; this article reports that evidence rather than predicting a later decision.

Sources

[1] [PJM’s September 30 procurement update](https://insidelines.pjm.com/ferc-accepts-pjm-reliability-backstop-proposal/).

[2] [FERC’s September 29 order](https://www.pjm.com/pjmfiles/directory/etariff/FercOrders/9154/20260929-er26-3380-000.pdf) — see the opening paragraphs for the stated disposition.

[3] [PJM’s September 29 large-load review announcement](https://insidelines.pjm.com/pjm-kicks-off-annual-process-of-vetting-large-load-requests/).

All sources accessed October 5, 2026.