ERCOT Interconnection at a glance
Quick facts | ERCOT |
|---|---|
Who runs it | ERCOT runs the grid and the studies, and the PUCT writes the rules. |
Large load threshold | A single site with peak demand above 75 MW |
Governing rule | 16 TAC §25.194, adopted September 18, 2026 and effective October 8, 2026 |
Large load study fee | Flat $100,000 |
Large load financial security | The greater of $50,000 per MW of contracted peak demand or the upgrade costs the study allocates. For a 500 MW load, that’s at least $25 million. |
Large load study process | Batch studies. ERCOT switched to a batch-based process on July 10, 2026. |
Large-load queue | More than 438 GW of proposed demand as of mid-2026, with nearly 90% from data centers |
Generation queue | About 457 GW as of September 2026, made up of solar 158 GW, wind 49 GW, gas 80 GW, battery 166 GW and other 4 GW |
Generator timeline | 18 to 30 months for generators of 10 MW or more, and 8 to 12 months for generators under 10 MW, not including construction, per ERCOT |
Peak demand, for scale | About 91 GW, an all-time record set in July 2026 |
Last updated | November 3, 2026 |
ERCOT Generator Interconnection Process
Generator interconnection,
step-by-step
ERCOT studies each generator individually and uses a “connect and manage” approach, so being connected doesn’t guarantee a project can always deliver its full output. Projects of 10 MW or more typically take 18 to 30 months, not counting construction or supply delays. Smaller projects follow a lighter process that takes about 8 to 12 months.
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Choose a site and point of interconnection. Local transmission strength and congestion matter more in ERCOT than in most markets.
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Submit a request. File in ERCOT’s RIOO-IS system and pay the screening fee.
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Security Screening Study. ERCOT estimates output limits and flags any extra studies needed, usually within 45 to 90 days.
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Full Interconnection Study. Request it within 180 days of receiving screening results or the request is cancelled. The transmission provider then studies grid impacts and estimates costs, which takes roughly 40 to 300 days.
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Sign the interconnection agreement. Sign the agreement with the transmission provider, give notice to proceed, and post financial security for construction.
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Planning models and stability review. ERCOT adds the project to its planning models once permits and security are in place. It then runs a quarterly stability assessment five to seven months before the project synchronizes to the grid.
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Register, commission and operate. Register with ERCOT, complete commissioning tests, and begin commercial operation.
ERCOT Large Load Interconnection Process
Large Load interconnection,
step-by-step
This process applies to sites with 75 MW or more of peak demand, like data centers. Smaller loads go through the local utility’s own process. ERCOT now studies large loads in batches, and the PUCT’s new interconnection rule took effect October 8, 2026. Some dates are still changing, so confirm current deadlines.
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Choose a site and utility. Local grid capacity often decides whether a site works.
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Submit a request. Submit load details and a commissioning plan to the utility that would serve the site.
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Sign an intermediate agreement and post security. Pay a $100,000 study fee, post refundable security of $50,000 per MW, and file signed disclosures on site control, schedule and permits.
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Verification and classification. ERCOT verifies eligibility, then sorts each load into the current batch, existing demand, or a future batch. Data center approvals are paused until verification wraps up, with ERCOT’s report due December 10, 2026.
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Batch study. ERCOT studies all qualifying loads together and sets how much demand each can reliably use, year by year.
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Sign the interconnection agreement. Sign within 60 days of receiving capacity. Security rises to the greater of $50,000 per MW or the customer’s allocated upgrade costs, and a customer that withdraws after that forfeits 20% of the related security.
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Prepare and energize. ERCOT plans the needed transmission upgrades. The customer completes readiness and technical checks, receives ERCOT’s approval to energize, and ramps up in phases.
What's changed recently in ERCOT interconnection
Last updated November 2026
Texas overhauled how large loads such as data centers connect to the ERCOT grid. Senate Bill 6, passed in 2025, directed the PUCT to set new standards for large load interconnection. The PUCT’s rule implementing it, 16 TAC §25.194, is now in effect.
What the new rule requires:
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Study fee: a flat $100,000 per request.
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Financial security: $50,000 per MW before ERCOT studies the load, rising to the greater of $50,000 per MW or the customer’s allocated upgrade costs once capacity is assigned.
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Disclosures: officer-attested information on site control, schedule, permits and power supply.
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Agreement deadline: 60 days to sign and fund the interconnection agreement after ERCOT allocates capacity.
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Withdrawal penalty: customers that withdraw after allocation forfeit 20% of the related security.
If your project is already in the queue: the rule applies to every large load not energized by October 8, 2026, including projects already in ERCOT’s process. Projects that entered the queue under the old rules now need to meet the new security and agreement requirements.
Timeline:
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July 10, 2026: ERCOT moved large loads to a batch-based study process. ercot
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August 3, 2026: Following the Governor’s directive, ERCOT paused Batch Zero work to verify eligibility. Data centers and crypto mining loads can’t be approved to energize until verification is complete.
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September 3, 2026: ERCOT issued conditional classifications for large loads of 75 MW or more to be included in Batch Zero
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September 18, 2026: The PUCT adopted 16 TAC §25.194.
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October 8, 2026: The rule took effect.
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Coming up, December 10, 2026: ERCOT’s verification report is due to the PUCT.
How LandGate Helps with ERCOT Interconnection
Quickly and accurately determine the feasibility of a site using the best and most accurate data
Get your projects on the grid faster with reliable transmission data.
Find sites with power behind them
Search parcels by criteria such as distance to a substation and available offtake capacity. For generators, see available transfer capacity at transmission-level injection points; for large loads, see offtake capacity at those same points.
See capacity before you file
Run automated capacity studies that show substation details, capacity results, and limiting elements, and queue information. Queued projects are shown at the substation level, so you know what you’re competing with before you submit a request.
Screen sites before committing capital
LandGate’s Data Center Due Diligence Reports identify the ISO, the nearest transmission & distribution lines, and ranks the closest substations by available capacity along with queue context, energy prices and incentives, so you only commit to sites that pencil out.
Lock up the best sites
ERCOT’s new large-load rule requires disclosures on site control. LandGate pairs its grid data with proprietary landowner leads and a map-based CRM to help you find and secure the right parcels, including off-market properties with the right infrastructure.
