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The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission acted today on the advanced notice of proposed rulemaking that Energy Secretary Chris Wright filed last fall, directing the commission to expedite the process for data center loads seeking to connect to the transmission grid.
In October, Wright suggested that the commission assert this authority over large load interconnections, adopt standardized rules for interconnection studies, and require large loads to cover all network upgrade costs.
In a unanimous, bipartisan vote, the five commissioners agreed that current tariffs are generally lagging behind the surge of data center load seeking to interconnect. But they declined to assert federal jurisdiction over reforming the process, and instead issued show-cause orders that require each of the regional grid operators (minus ERCOT) to justify or revise their tariffs.
It’s a move that recognizes reform efforts already in regions including SPP and PJM, to address issues like co-location and flexibility.
