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PJM Capacity Charge Estimator

Peak load contribution and zone to the annual capacity charge at the 2025/26 to 2028/29 clearing prices, and what ELRP claws back.

Inputs

Zones with a published base zonal RPM scaling factor in our data. Another zone: pick any and enter the factor under Advanced.
Your average metered kW across PJM's five summer coincident peak hours; your supplier or EDC sends the tag each December.
Advanced and ELRP
From the BRA results workbook, sheet "BRA Load Pricing Results". Leave blank to use the published value.
Curtailable load registered through a curtailment service provider as a Capacity Performance demand resource.
Your contract with the curtailment service provider; 0 shows the gross value.
Annual capacity charge–
Daily UCAP obligation–
Per kW of metered PLC–
ELRP revenue–
Net capacity cost after ELRP–
Same PLC across the four auctions
Delivery yearClearing priceScalingFPRObligationChargeSource

Method and assumptions

Daily UCAP obligation (MW) = PLC at meter x EDC loss multiplier x zonal RPM scaling factor x Forecast Pool Requirement; annual charge = obligation x zonal clearing price ($/MW-day) x days in the delivery year. ELRP gross = nominated MW x DR ELCC x clearing price x days (Manual 18 s4.3).

  1. Clearing prices are the rest-of-RTO Capacity Performance resource clearing prices from PJM's BRA results reports. Constrained LDAs (BGE, DOM, ComEd, EMAAC and others) cleared higher in some years; this tool uses the RTO price for every zone listed.
  2. Base zonal RPM scaling factors and the Forecast Pool Requirement are transcribed from the BRA results workbooks for 2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29. For 2025/26 neither is in our data; the tool asks for them.
  3. Loss multipliers: Met-Ed 1.0171 (FirstEnergy PA tariff, Rate GP) and AEP Ohio 1.0552 (primary service). Other zones default to 1.0000, meaning the PLC you enter is already at generation level; enter your EDC's factor.
  4. ELRP: a cleared demand resource is paid the resource clearing price on its accredited UCAP (Manual 18 s4.3). Accreditation uses the DR ELCC PJM published for each auction (69% for 2026/27, 92% for 2027/28); 2028/29 is not in our data. Capacity Performance demand resources must be available for unlimited interruptions in all hours from 2027/28; non-performance charge about $2,280/MWh at the 2027/28 RTO Net CONE, capped at 1.5 x clearing price x days x committed MW.
  5. This is the competitive-supplier PLC pass-through route. Utility default service (for example FirstEnergy PA hourly pricing or AEP Ohio's generation capacity rider) bills capacity differently and can land far from this number.
Auction data as of 2026-09-10.

Method

Daily UCAP obligation = PLC x EDC loss multiplier x base zonal RPM scaling factor x Forecast Pool Requirement, per PJM Manual 18 section 7.5. The annual charge is the obligation times the rest-of-RTO clearing price times the days in the delivery year. Clearing prices come from PJM’s Base Residual Auction reports (2025/26 $269.92, 2026/27 $329.17, 2027/28 $333.44, 2028/29 $325.00 per MW-day), scaling factors and FPR from the BRA results workbooks for 2026/27 to 2028/29. The 2025/26 factors are not in our data and the tool asks for them. ELRP pays the clearing price on nominated MW at the demand-resource ELCC PJM published for each auction (69% for 2026/27, 92% for 2027/28), before the curtailment service provider’s share.

The worked plant in PJM capacity: the factory bill is the default scenario. Every input is mirrored to the URL so a scenario can be shared as a link.

Default assumptions come from the Large-Load Cost Table. Pro subscribers can save inputs. Institutional seats get the underlying series.

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