Rep. Troy Balderson (R-Ohio) introduced legislation on Feb. 6 that would speed up the nation’s interconnection queues for “dispatchable generation,” with a companion bill introduced in the Senate by Sens. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.).
The Guaranteeing Reliability through the Interconnection of Dispatchable (GRID) Power Act would allow certain projects, at the request of grid operators, to bypass overwhelmed queues. It would require FERC to craft rules to that effect for transmission providers to set up a special queue for such projects needed for reliability.
Grid operators would have to show a reliability need and how such a project would address it and provide a process for public comment and stakeholder engagement before taking a proposal to FERC. Any proposal to speed a project through the queue would have to go to FERC for approval and be open for comments from all parties.
“Our interconnection queue is buckling under its own weight,” Rep. Balderson said in a statement. “Transmission providers are tasked with ensuring we have enough electricity to keep the lights on, but the growing backlog of projects is adding years to an already time-consuming process. This legislation would give grid operators the authority to identify and expedite the consideration of essential projects that will protect our grid’s reliability and provide the power needed to meet America’s growing demand.”
The bill, a version of which Balderson introduced late in 2024 as well, is supported by the Electric Power Supply Association, a trade group of independent power producers that build many of the power plants that would benefit from a quicker path through the queue.
“EPSA is a staunch supporter of the benefits of competitive markets. However, no economic model or structure can overcome inefficiencies in the interconnection process that can significantly delay critical investment in new dispatchable generation,” said EPSA CEO Todd Snitchler. “This legislation appropriately creates a process that recognizes when reliability concerns require that certain investments be prioritized in the interconnection queue. The proposal is designed to recognize when reliability may be at risk and respond in a prudent and targeted manner.”
EPSA said natural gas power plants will continue to be needed for decades even as more intermittent resources are added to the grid.
The legislation comes as artificial intelligence is driving a spike in data center demand and leading to demand growth for the first time in decades. New investment and rapid development of dispatchable generation resources is needed to meet that, with EPSA pointing to the recent PJM capacity auction and its resulting price spike as signaling the need for more investment.
The RTO has made several filings at FERC that would seek to speed up new capacity through the queue, though the closest change to the legislation — the Reliability Resource Initiative — would only be for Transition Cycle No. 2, not permanent like the legislative proposal.
“Bureaucratic delays are slowing critical power projects and threatening the reliability of our electric grid,” said Sen. Young. “We need to cut through red tape to get more power online faster. This bill will strengthen our grid to promote American energy independence and drive economic growth — especially in states like Indiana, where reliable energy is vital to jobs and Hoosier workers.”
