The Texas Public Utility Commission filed a proposed rule change that would establish interconnection standards for large load customers and support business development while maintaining system reliability.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed former infrastructure developer Patrick Rhode to the state’s Public Utility Commission, bringing the agency to its full five-person complement.

ERCOT staff have promised more clarity on the link between the initial batch study process for large loads and the subsequent studies and existing planning structure during an upcoming workshop.

ERCOT says the critical path for a successful Batch Zero NPRR relies on a series of approval votes in May before the changes go to the board in June.

ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas said the grid operator's proposed batch process to study the 232 GW of large loads seeking interconnection will provide clarity and transparency to data center developers.

ERCOT says it leaned on Texas’ 15 mobile generating units and an RMR unit during the state’s first major cold-weather event since 2021’s disastrous Winter Storm Uri.

With a major winter storm bearing down on Texas, officials have assured the state that the ERCOT grid is in much better shape to take on freezing conditions than it was five years ago during Winter Storm Uri.

ERCOT says there is “broad agreement” from stakeholders that the grid operator’s batch-based approach for interconnecting large loads is necessary.

Having finally added real-time co-optimization to the market like every other U.S. grid operator with an effort that began in 2019, ERCOT can turn its attention to other pressing issues.

ERCOT proposed revisions to its large load interconnection process just days after a new rule established more rigorous criteria for connecting data centers, bitcoin miners and other power-hungry facilities to the grid.