What is prompting American Electric Power Co. to consider withdrawing from PJM Interconnection and Southwest Power Pool?

American Electric Power Co. is reviewing its memberships in PJM Interconnection LLC and Southwest Power Pool Inc. because its CEO, Bill Fehrman, criticized the grid operators for being too slow to connect data-center customers, calling it a critical 'speed to market issue' that 'clearly has to get fixed' amid surging demand from power-hungry data centers.

What did AEP CEO Bill Fehrman say about the likelihood of timely reform in PJM?

Fehrman stated that the current state of PJM’s performance and stakeholder approval process does not give him great confidence that the issues will be resolved soon, adding, 'In fact, if something is not done now, I expect we could still be having these same conversations in 10 years.'

AEP Weighs Break From Two of America’s Biggest Power Grids

May 5, 2026

American Electric Power is reviewing its memberships in PJM and Southwest Power Pool due to delays in connecting data center customers. CEO Bill Fehrman highlights urgent needs to fix speed-to-market issues amid soaring electricity demand.

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AEP Weighs Break From Two of America’s Biggest Power Grids

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