PacifiCorp Interconnection: Find Power, Navigate the Queue, Secure Your Site
PacifiCorp operates outside an ISO across six Western states, studying generators in one annual cluster. Large loads connect through Pacific Power or Rocky Mountain Power, with requirements varying by state. Explore PacifiCorp interconnection processes with our interactive guide, then see where capacity is available.
PSCo (Xcel Energy) Interconnection at a glance
Quick facts | PacifiCorp |
|---|---|
Who runs it | PacifiCorp runs two balancing areas: PacifiCorp East (Utah, Wyoming and Idaho) and PacifiCorp West (Oregon, Washington and California). It isn’t part of an ISO, but trades in CAISO’s Western Energy Imbalance Market and Extended Day-Ahead Market. FERC approves its transmission tariff, and state commissions oversee retail service. |
Governing rules | Part IV of PacifiCorp’s transmission tariff, plus business practices, including one on proving readiness and site control that took effect October 20, 2026 |
Generator study process | One annual cluster for both areas, filed through PacifiCorp’s PowerClerk portal: a 45-day window, a 60-day engagement window, a 150-day Cluster Study, a 150-day restudy if needed, and a facilities study of 90 or 180 days |
Current window | The 2026 window ran September 7 to October 21, 2026. PacifiCorp hasn’t posted how many requests it received. The next window opens September 7, 2027. |
Queue | Transition Cluster 2 held 57 active requests totaling about 14.7 GW as of October 15, 2026: about 7.9 GW in the east and 6.8 GW in the west. |
Generator timeline | The tariff’s deadlines add up to roughly 15 to 24 months from window close to the facilities study report, plus time to finalize the interconnection agreement |
Generator costs | A $5,000 non-refundable application fee and a study deposit of $150,000 to $250,000 for projects of 80 MW or more. To show readiness, a project can use a qualifying contract, selection in a resource plan or a deposit of twice the study deposit. Deposits rise to 5% and 10% of upgrade costs, with total security of 20% at the interconnection agreement. |
Withdrawal penalties | None before the Cluster Study. After that, at least the study deposit, rising to 5% of upgrade costs during a restudy, 10% during the facilities study and 20% after signing. |
Site control | At least 90% at filing, with minimum land sizes by technology: 30 acres per MW for wind, 6 acres per MW for solar, 1 acre per MW for battery storage and 40 acres for conventional generation |
Large load thresholds | They vary by state: more than 20 MW in Oregon, Washington and California; tiers starting at 25 MW in Utah; and 25 MW or more in Wyoming, with special contracts required at 200 MW or more |
Large load study | A $150,000 minimum evaluation fee, with a target of 6 months or less for the system impact study and service proposal. Rocky Mountain Power batches requests twice a year, while Pacific Power accepts them on a rolling basis. |
Oregon data center tariff | Oregon’s POWER Act requires a separate rate class for data centers over 20 MW. Pacific Power’s version is before the Oregon PUC, with a final order targeted for November 13, 2026 and rates effective January 1, 2027. |
Last updated | November 3, 2026 |
PacifiCorp Generator Interconnection Process
Generator interconnection,
step-by-step
PacifiCorp studies generators in one annual cluster, opening September 7. Projects show readiness through a qualifying contract or deposit, with requirements increasing at each stage.
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Check the queue and study reports. PacifiCorp posts one queue for both areas, along with past study reports and maps of its Cluster Areas.
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Apply during the September window. Submit through PacifiCorp’s PowerClerk portal with a $5,000 fee, a study deposit, at least 90% site control and proof of readiness: a qualifying contract, selection in a resource plan or a deposit of twice the study deposit.
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Customer engagement window. Over 60 days, PacifiCorp reviews requests, groups projects into Cluster Areas and holds scoping meetings.
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Cluster Study. PacifiCorp studies the cluster by area over 150 days and assigns each project a share of upgrade costs.
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Continue or withdraw. Within 20 days of the results meeting, developers confirm site control and show a qualifying contract or raise their deposit to 5% of upgrade costs.
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Restudy and facilities study. PacifiCorp restudies the cluster if needed, then developers submit a facilities study agreement with a contract or 10% deposit before design begins.
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Sign the interconnection agreement. Developers post 20% of upgrade costs, meet a development milestone and sign the agreement. A separate transmission request is required to deliver power.
PacifiCorp Large Load Interconnection Process
Large Load interconnection,
step-by-step
PacifiCorp has no public large-load queue. Data centers work directly with Pacific Power or Rocky Mountain Power, with large-load thresholds and contracts varying by state.
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Contact the large loads team. Email Largeloads@PacifiCorp.com to get a customer information form and a list of financial requirements.
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Check your state’s threshold. Loads over 20 MW in Oregon, Washington and California, and 25 MW or more in Utah and Wyoming, go through the large-load process. Smaller loads use the normal new-service process.
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Submit a large-scale service request. Include the site, requested MW, start date, energy profile, proof of financial capability and security.
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Wait for the evaluation window. Pacific Power reviews requests on a rolling basis. Rocky Mountain Power batches them twice a year, starting April 1 and October 1.
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Sign an Engineering Service Agreement. The customer pays at least $150,000 to fund the evaluation.
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System impact study and service proposal. PacifiCorp targets 6 months or less to deliver a written proposal listing upgrades, costs, an estimated service date and any new generation needed.
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Sign a contract and energize. The customer signs a service agreement or special contract, which state regulators may need to approve. In Oregon, data centers over 20 MW need a special contract approved by the Oregon PUC.
What's changed recently in PacifiCorp interconnection
Last updated November 2026
PacifiCorp moved its generator applications to a new portal in 2026 and tightened its guidance on readiness and site control. For large loads, Oregon is creating a separate rate class for data centers, and Utah has opened new paths for large loads under a 2025 law. If your project is in PacifiCorp’s territory, check which of these changes apply before the next window or contract.
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May 11, 2026: PacifiCorp delivered its Transition Cluster 2 study reports.
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September 7 – October 21, 2026: PacifiCorp’s 2026 cluster window ran, the first through its PowerClerk portal. It hasn’t posted how many requests it received.
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September 16, 2026: Parties filed a settlement in Pacific Power’s Oregon data center tariff case, which creates a separate rate class for data centers and crypto mining over 20 MW under Oregon’s POWER Act.
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October 15, 2026: Transition Cluster 2 held 57 active requests totaling about 14.7 GW.
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October 20, 2026: Updated business practices took effect on proving readiness and site control, and on surplus interconnection service.
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Coming up: An Oregon PUC order on the data center tariff, targeted for November 13, 2026, with rates effective January 1, 2027; the 2026 cluster’s study in the first half of 2027; and the next window, opening September 7, 2027.
How LandGate Helps with PSCo Interconnection
PacifiCorp spans six states, where site and large-load requirements vary. Large loads also pay at least $150,000 for evaluation. LandGate brings the data behind these decisions into one platform.
Get your projects on the grid faster with reliable transmission data.
Compare sites across six states
One cluster covers both PacifiCorp’s eastern and western areas, so you can apply whereever the grid is strongest. Search parcels by criteria such as distance to a substation and available offtake capacity, and see available transfer capacity at transmission-level injection points to compare options across the whole footprint.
Know upgrade exposure risks
After the Cluster Study, projects without a qualifying contract raise deposits to 5%, then 10%, of upgrade costs. LandGate shows queued projects at the substation level, and its automated offtake capacity studies show substation details, capacity results, limiting elements, and queue data to spot upgrade risks before committing.
Pick large load sites before evaluations
PacifiCorp charges at least $150,000 to evaluate a large-load request, and each request covers one site. LandGate’s Data Center Due Diligence tools help you find the nearest transmission and distribution lines and rank the closest substations by the capacity available to serve the site, so you can bring PacifiCorp a site worth studying.
Secure enough land, and keep it
PacifiCorp sets minimum site sizes, from 6 acres per MW for solar to 30 for wind, and checks site control four times before the agreement is signed. LandGate pairs its comprehensive grid data with proprietary landowner leads, nationwide ownership and contact data, and a map-based CRM to help you find and secure the right parcels.
