Which States Actually Pay the PJM Capacity Charge — July 2026
Every jurisdiction in the PJM Interconnection footprint is exposed to the same auction prices, but the dollar impact on an actual bill is not the same everywhere — it scales with how much electricity a household in that state uses. Ranking by the next locked increment's projected dollar cost, at each state's own reported usage, shows where the charge actually bites hardest. What the charge is and how the auction sets it is covered separately; this page is the ranking.
Ranked by projected impact (8 full-PJM jurisdictions)
The 2027/2028 delivery year, still ahead of the July 2026 data month, at each state's own EIA-reported average monthly usage:
| # | State | Avg. usage | Projected impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | 1,299 kWh | +$0.39/month |
| 2 | Maryland | 1,184 kWh | +$0.36/month |
| 3 | West Virginia | 1,155 kWh | +$0.35/month |
| 4 | Ohio | 1,151 kWh | +$0.35/month |
| 5 | Delaware | 1,070 kWh | +$0.32/month |
| 6 | New Jersey | 1,036 kWh | +$0.31/month |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 1,020 kWh | +$0.31/month |
| 8 | District of Columbia | 827 kWh | +$0.25/month |
Measured against the 2026/2027 price ($329.17/MW-day) already in July 2026 bills, RTO-wide clearing price converted at the documented system load factor — see the full arithmetic. Several utility zones cleared higher than the RTO-wide price, so every figure here is a floor. States EIA has not reported average usage for are excluded, never ranked at zero.
Why 6 states aren't ranked the same way
Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Tennessee are only partly inside PJM — part of each state's territory is served by a different grid operator entirely. Applying the capacity floor to that state's full reported usage would overstate the impact for residents outside the PJM-served utility zone, so these states are deliberately left off the ranked table above (the same rule this site's 2027 study uses). If you live in one of them, whether the charge applies to you depends on which utility serves your address:
- Illinois: ComEd in PJM; Ameren territory in MISO.
- Michigan: Retail choice is capped at 10% of load and the cap is full - effectively no supplier switching for new residential customers.
- Tennessee: Largely TVA; retail choice minimal.
Turn this into your own number
Enter your state and bill: if you are in the PJM footprint, the calculator applies the locked increments above at your own usage, not the state average. Nothing you type is stored.
Bill Shock Calculator
See where you stand - and where your bill is headed. Nothing you type is stored.
Ohio average: $224/mo at 19.45¢/kWh (+11.9% YoY)
Your bill is 33.0% below the state average (≈771 kWh/mo at the state average price).
Where your bill is headed:
- locked2027/2028 delivery year (Jun 2027 - May 2028)+$0.23/mo
- locked2028/2029 delivery year (Jun 2028 - May 2029)-$0.23/mo
- trendIf the last 12 months' trend continues+$17.89/mo
“Locked” = PJM capacity auction prices already cleared (a floor - several utility zones cleared higher). “Trend” = the observed 12-month EIA trend extended, not a promise.
Three ways to fight it:
- Switch your plan. Ohio lets residents pick their electricity supplier. Plan comparison coming soon.
- Find your energy hogs. See what each appliance actually costs to run at Ohio rates: cost-to-run guides.
- Get a home energy audit. DOE guide to professional and DIY audits.
Estimate only, based on official data as of July 2026 (U.S. EIA residential averages; PJM auction results). Your actual plan price differs.
Keep going
- The PJM capacity charge, explained — the mechanism and the documented $/MW-day to ¢/kWh arithmetic.
- Our 2027 study — every state ranked on trend plus the locked floor, full methodology.
Estimate only, based on official data as of July 2026. PJM capacity figures are Base Residual Auction clearing prices (RTO-wide), published by PJM Interconnection. Average usage: U.S. Energy Information Administration, residential retail sales (public domain), refreshed monthly. Your actual plan price and usage differ.