A proposed upgrade at the Hunterstown natural-gas power plant in Adams County has entered a faster regional review process. Pennsylvania officials announced November 5 that it is one of three state-supported energy projects selected for an expedited route to the electric grid.
The selection comes from PJM Interconnection, which coordinates the regional transmission system. Its expedited track is intended for large projects that can be ready within three years and have state support.
Hunterstown is an upgrade to an existing generating facility, not a newly announced power plant at a separate site. PJM identifies it as an upgrade connecting at the Hunterstown 500-kilovolt substation in the Met-Ed transmission zone.
The project descriptions use different capacity figures. Pennsylvania lists a 367-megawatt generation update, while PJM’s earlier notice describes adding 455 megawatts of nameplate capacity, the equipment’s rated output; the notices do not explain the difference.
The other Pennsylvania projects are battery-storage developments: the 860-megawatt French Creek project in Crawford County and the 500-megawatt Sammis project in Beaver County. Storage projects hold electricity for later delivery rather than producing fuel-based electricity themselves.
State officials say the three projects could bring about 1.7 gigawatts onto the grid by mid-2029. That is an announced target, not electricity already available to customers.
PJM says its expedited process aims to reach an interconnection agreement in about 10 months. Such an agreement addresses a project’s connection to the transmission system; selection does not mean every permit has been issued.
Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection has begun initial consultations with the developers, according to the state announcement. Permit reviews, grid agreements and construction still stand between the Hunterstown proposal and operation.