PJM · Landscape Hub
PJM Interconnection Queue Tools & Platforms
A developer's guide to every free and paid option for analyzing the PJM interconnection queue
The PJM interconnection queue lists thousands of proposed generation and storage projects competing for grid access across the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. Making sense of that data — figuring out which queued MW actually threaten your project's interconnection timeline and cost — requires the right combination of tools, data, and judgment.
This page surveys the full landscape: free public tools, paid commercial platforms, adjacent advisory services, and open research datasets. If you know what you're evaluating, jump to the section that fits. If you're starting from scratch, the How to Choose section at the bottom can help you orient.
Free Public Tools
These resources are publicly available at no cost and are the right starting point for any PJM queue analysis.
PJM Active Interconnection Queue
PJM publishes its full interconnection queue as a downloadable spreadsheet updated weekly. It lists every active project by queue number, technology type, requested MW, substation, study phase, and county. This is the authoritative source — no third-party tool covers projects that aren't in this list.
Best for: Experienced practitioners who are comfortable in Excel and need the raw, unfiltered dataset.
Limitation: Raw MW figures overstate realistic competition because historical U.S. queue withdrawal rates are near 80%.
PJM Interconnection Queue →
SlackWatt Queue Reality Check
Queue Reality Check reads the PJM queue and applies a probability model to each project based on its study phase, technology type, and time in queue — translating raw MW into weighted estimates that reflect historical attrition behavior. Select a substation, see every nearby queued project, and toggle individual build/withdraw assumptions to model scenarios.
Best for: Developers evaluating a specific PJM substation who want a probability-adjusted picture of competition in minutes.
Limitation: PJM-only; does not cover MISO, CAISO, or other ISOs.
Open Queue Reality Check →
PJM Data Miner 2
PJM's Data Miner 2 API provides programmatic access to a wide range of PJM market and operational data including LMPs, load forecasts, capacity market results, and transmission constraint data. It is free but requires technical familiarity to query effectively.
Best for: Analysts and data engineers who need automated queue or market data pipelines.
PJM Data Miner 2 →
FERC eLibrary
FERC's electronic library contains filings, orders, and dockets related to transmission planning, interconnection agreements, and rate cases. Essential for tracking regulatory developments that affect queue rules and cost allocation.
Best for: Policy analysts, lawyers, and developers tracking specific dockets or interconnection rule changes.
FERC eLibrary →
Paid Commercial Platforms
These tools offer richer data, broader coverage, and professional support — typically at enterprise subscription prices.
Nira Energy
Nira Energy is a grid intelligence platform that aggregates interconnection queue data, transmission constraints, and curtailment signals across multiple ISOs. It adds a geographic and transmission-topology layer that the raw queue spreadsheet lacks.
Best for: Transmission developers, utilities, and institutional investors who need multi-ISO queue coverage alongside curtailment and LMP data.
Nira Energy →
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Compare Nira vs. Queue Reality Check →
Enverus PRISM
Enverus PRISM is a comprehensive energy intelligence platform used by large IPPs, utilities, and financial institutions. It combines power market modeling, renewable resource assessment, interconnection queue data, and M&A analytics in a single enterprise suite.
Best for: Large IPPs, investment banks, and utilities that need a full power market suite — resource assessment, M&A support, capacity market analytics, and interconnection data together.
Enverus PRISM →
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Compare Enverus PRISM vs. Queue Reality Check →
Pearl Street Technologies
Pearl Street Technologies provides an interconnection software platform paired with expert advisory services. Their tools track cost estimate updates, milestone alerts, and queue position changes, with advisors available to interpret findings in the context of a specific project.
Best for: Developers navigating a live interconnection process who need both data monitoring and expert interpretation — particularly for cost allocation disputes or restudy events.
Pearl Street Technologies →
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Compare Pearl Street vs. Queue Reality Check →
Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables
Wood Mackenzie provides long-range power market forecasts, M&A valuations, and renewable energy market research. Their interconnection data is embedded within broader market modeling rather than delivered as a standalone queue tool.
Best for: Financial institutions and large developers who need long-range power price forecasts and portfolio-level market intelligence.
Wood Mackenzie →
Aurora Energy Research
Aurora provides power market modeling software and research with strong penetration in European markets and growing U.S. coverage. Its scenario modeling capabilities span capacity, energy prices, and renewable build-out.
Best for: Developers and investors who need power price forecasts and long-term capacity scenario modeling alongside interconnection context.
Aurora Energy Research →
Adjacent Tools & Services
These tools don't focus on the PJM queue directly but are commonly used alongside queue analysis in the development workflow.
Interconnection consulting firms
Firms like Burns & McDonnell, Sargent & Lundy, Stantec, and specialized boutiques provide interconnection cost estimation, Facilities Study review, and network upgrade negotiation services. Useful when you need a human expert to interpret study results and challenge cost allocations.
GIS and siting tools
Tools like RatedPower, Arcadia, and various ArcGIS-based workflows support site layout, land control, and proximity-to-transmission analysis. Knowing a substation is nearby is the first step — queue analysis at that substation is the second.
Transmission hosting capacity maps
PJM and individual Transmission Owners publish hosting capacity maps that indicate where the grid can accommodate new generation without major network upgrades. These maps are a useful complement to queue position analysis.
PJM Transmission Service →
Public Datasets & Research
These open resources provide historical context and research-grade analysis that enriches any queue evaluation.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Queued Up
LBNL's annual "Queued Up" report is the definitive public research on U.S. interconnection queue trends. It tracks entry rates, withdrawal rates, time-to-completion, and technology mix across all major ISOs. The 80% historical withdrawal rate widely cited in queue analysis comes from this research.
EIA Form 860 — Generator data
The Energy Information Administration's Form 860 lists all utility-scale generating units in the U.S. with nameplate capacity, technology type, online date, and retirement date. Cross-referencing EIA 860 with the PJM queue reveals which projects that entered the queue actually reached commercial operation.
RMI Interconnection Tracker
Rocky Mountain Institute maintains a public tracker of U.S. interconnection reform activity, documenting FERC orders, ISO rule changes, and state-level policy developments that affect queue timelines and cost allocation.
FERC Order 2023 — Interconnection reform
FERC's Order 2023 (issued 2023) requires ISOs to transition from serial one-at-a-time interconnection studies to cluster-based studies and introduces new withdrawal penalties designed to reduce speculative queue entries. PJM's implementation of Order 2023 is ongoing and will affect queue composition and timelines for projects entering the queue from 2024 onward.
How to Choose
The right tool depends on where you are in the development process and what question you're trying to answer.
Screening a new site. Start with PJM's public queue and Queue Reality Check. Both are free. Queue Reality Check adds probability weighting so you get a realistic competition estimate without manual Excel work. Once a site clears the screen, move to paid platforms or consultants for deeper diligence.
Tracking an active interconnection. If you have a queue position and are navigating study phases, Pearl Street Technologies or an interconnection consulting firm can provide milestone tracking and cost estimate monitoring that a screening tool won't cover.
Portfolio-level analysis. If you manage projects across multiple ISOs or need to present queue trends to investors, Nira Energy or Enverus PRISM provide the breadth and data provenance that institutional stakeholders expect.
Research and policy work. LBNL's Queued Up report, EIA 860, and FERC eLibrary are the right foundation. They're free, well-documented, and widely cited.
Building your own tools. PJM Data Miner 2 provides a free API. LBNL and EIA publish downloadable datasets. SlackWatt's probability model is described in How It Works.
Analyze your specific substation
Use Queue Reality Check to see every project queued near your point of interconnection — with probability-weighted totals and per-project scenario modeling.
Open the tool