One of our clients in Pennsylvania just received a notice that their provider Entrust Energy defaulted on their contractual obligations to PJM.   As PPL’s letter below states, Entrust Energy is no longer allowed to offer/sell electricity in the Mid-Atlantic region where PJM operates.

Because of this, our client’s electric “account” was automatically transferred to their local utility — PPL Electric.  Here’s part of the letter our client received (personal information redacted) from PPL:

Who/what is PJM?
PJM is an RTO, a regional transmission organization.  In short, they regulate and control most or all of “the grid” in 13 states on the East Coast, including the District of Columbia.

Will I lose power?
No!  You will not experience an interruption of service.  If you’re impacted by this situation, your electricity service will be automatically transferred to your provider of last resort (POLR).  This is typically your local utility.

In the case of our client, this was PPL Electric.

What should I do next?
First, find out if you’re impacted.  If you are, you will want to shop around and compare rates.   Electric rates that homes and businesses receive from a POLR are typically higher than what you’d get from a safe, fixed-rate plan from another energy provider.