Federal regulators have ordered PJM Interconnection to accept statistical sampling as a valid method for virtual power plants in the country's biggest energy market. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued the ruling late last month, handing virtual power plants a win as they seek to help meet surging electricity demand.
The decision is significant because PJM is the largest wholesale electricity market in the U.S., and statistical sampling can be used to measure the contribution of many small, distributed resources. With the order, FERC has cleared a path for virtual power plants to participate more fully in PJM's market.
According to Canary Media, the ruling marks an important step for the technology, which had faced hurdles in demonstrating its value within established market rules.