ERCOT Moves Toward Batch-Study Process for Large Power Users

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is moving to replace its current single-study interconnection model for very large power users with a batch-study process as state regulators and grid officials respond to rising demand tied in part to new data center development.

The change centers on ERCOT’s large-load interconnection process, which applies to facilities of 75 megawatts or greater. In materials presented to its board in February, ERCOT said the current approach can lead to repeated restudies that invalidate earlier results as conditions change, creating delays and uncertainty for projects moving through the queue.

Under the proposed batch-study construct, qualifying large-load requests would be grouped and studied together rather than handled one at a time. ERCOT has said the new framework is intended to reduce repeated restudies, improve consistency and provide more certainty for large-load customers seeking to connect to the grid.

ERCOT’s current timeline calls for revision requests for the transitional “Batch Study Zero” to go to its board in June and for revision requests for the ongoing batch-study process to go to its board in September. The grid operator previewed the concept in a January market notice and later described the batch framework to its board as a way to add efficiency, transparency and reliability to a process under increasing strain.

The effort is also tied to Senate Bill 6, approved by lawmakers in 2025, which directs the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) to establish standards for interconnecting large-load customers in ERCOT while supporting business development and limiting stranded infrastructure costs. The law sets a default threshold of 75 megawatts for large-load customers unless regulators establish a lower threshold.

PUCT has been reviewing the issue in Project No. 59142, “Review of ERCOT’s Interconnection Processes for Large Loads.” Public filings in that docket show ERCOT has been providing updates, workshop materials and draft framework documents as the process develops. ERCOT also filed another batch-study update in the docket on March 5.

The proposed shift could reshape how large energy-intensive projects move from planning to power availability, which could be relevant for data center operators and the public agencies, local governments and economic development groups navigating the effects of rapid digital infrastructure growth.

The batch-study model is not yet fully in place, and further details will likely emerge through commission proceedings and ERCOT stakeholder discussions in the months ahead.