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Start with the site’s serving transmission or distribution provider, not a statewide queue number. To determine whether a proposed data center or other large electric load can connect in Texas, define its peak demand and ramp, identify the point of interconnection, submit through the provider’s current ERCOT large-load process, and obtain written confirmation of study status, deliverable megawatts, required upgrades and energization conditions. For loads of 75 MW or more at one site, ERCOT’s process changed to Batch Zero on July 11, 2026. A queue entry, study result or classification is not permission to energize.

What you are actually trying to verify

A connection check has four separate answers, and confusing them is a common source of bad project decisions:

  • Eligibility: Does the project meet ERCOT’s Large Load definition or another review trigger?
  • Study status: Has the provider accepted the request, and is it in the current ERCOT process?
  • Deliverability: How many megawatts can be served, from what date, under which operating limits and upgrades?
  • Energization authority: Have all agreements, facilities, models, telemetry and commissioning conditions been satisfied?

Only the project’s current transmission service provider (TSP), distribution service provider (DSP) and ERCOT records can answer those questions for a particular site. Statewide queue totals describe demand pressure, not the probability that your project will connect.

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When ERCOT’s Large Load rules apply

The 75 MW threshold

ERCOT defines a Large Load as one or more facilities at a single site with aggregate peak demand of at least 75 MW behind one or more common points of interconnection or service-delivery points. Add the peak demand of facilities that share the site and electrical arrangement; do not evaluate each building in isolation when they are served through common delivery points.

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Changes to an existing facility

The Section 9 process described in ERCOT’s December 2025 Q&A applies not only to a new Large Load but also to certain existing-load modifications that increase facility demand by at least 75 MW and to certain changes or additions to the point of interconnection. The exact trigger depends on the site configuration, so have the provider apply the current Planning Guide to your one-line diagram and load plan.

Projects below 75 MW

A project below the general threshold can still face distribution, transmission, protection or operational studies. The 75 MW figure is the Large Load threshold, not a guarantee that smaller projects bypass utility review. Ask the serving provider which utility and ERCOT requirements apply to the proposed voltage level, facilities and ramp.

What changed in 2026: Section 9 to Batch Zero

Date Event Practical meaning
June 18, 2026 PUCT approved ERCOT’s Batch Zero framework. Qualifying large-load requests could be evaluated together in a system-wide study.
July 10, 2026 Last day for the former Large Load Interconnection Study process under Planning Guide Section 9. Do not assume a new request can still enter the former individual-study route.
July 11, 2026 Batch Zero took effect as a transitional process for large-load requests meeting study-maturity and commitment criteria. ERCOT began evaluating qualifying requests together to allocate available transmission capacity and identify upgrades.
August 3, 2026 ERCOT announced gubernatorial direction to verify data-center large loads before advancing them. ERCOT did not notify providers of each Batch Zero classification by the planned August 7 date and said it would consult PUCT on next steps.

Batch Zero is intended to study qualifying demand together, allocate available grid capacity among studied and committed loads and, where feasible, produce an actionable transmission plan. It can also support pathways for credible on-site self-supply and for loads that agree to curtail when local transmission constraints require it.

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The August notice is important for scheduling: it confirms a delay to the planned classification milestone, but it does not establish the status of any individual project or a new universal classification date. Obtain the current status directly from the provider and ERCOT record associated with your application.

Step 1: Define the project before contacting the grid

Prepare a single, internally consistent data package. A provider cannot evaluate a vague site concept, and changing basic assumptions later can trigger a restudy.

  1. Fix the site boundary. Identify parcels, buildings, substations and any separately metered facilities that will operate as one project.
  2. Calculate aggregate peak demand. State the expected maximum grid draw in MW, including cooling, networking, auxiliary systems, construction load and other coincident demand. Show assumptions behind the number.
  3. Show the ramp. Break the build-out into commissioning increments and dates. ERCOT’s preliminary Load Commissioning Plan is intended to describe increments and the timeline to peak demand.
  4. State the requested in-service and energization dates. Distinguish first energization, first usable capacity, each expansion block and full design peak.
  5. Describe the load type and controls. Explain whether demand is steady, interruptible, highly variable, motor-driven, power-electronics-heavy or capable of automatic curtailment.
  6. Document the electrical arrangement. Provide the proposed voltage, one-line diagram, number of points of interconnection or service-delivery points, transformer ratings and ownership boundaries.
  7. List on-site generation and storage. Identify nameplate and dependable output, operating modes, export capability, black-start or islanding intentions, fuel limitations and control schemes. State how much grid draw remains when those resources are unavailable.

Use the same MW, dates and operating assumptions in investor materials, utility applications and ERCOT forms. A lower number used to enter a process and a higher number used for financing creates avoidable credibility and restudy problems.

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Step 2: Identify the serving provider and current intake route

Find the TSP or DSP that serves the parcel and the proposed voltage. A commercial real-estate owner, engineering consultant or economic-development office may suggest a utility, but the provider must confirm the electrical service territory and point of interconnection.

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Questions for the first provider call

  • Which entity is the serving TSP or DSP for this exact parcel and proposed voltage?
  • Is the project handled as a new Large Load, an existing-load modification or another category?
  • Which current ERCOT forms, attestations, load data and commissioning documents are required?
  • Who is the provider’s responsible project manager, and what application identifier will be used?
  • Which parts of the submission go to the provider and which go directly through ERCOT’s Large Load Integration materials?

Older ERCOT descriptions say the customer submits through the appropriate TSP, which requests project details and informs ERCOT. The newer Batch Zero notice says ERCOT has posted current applicant and provider forms on its Large Load Integration page. Because the former individual-study route was superseded, confirm the live handoff and do not rely on an outdated checklist.

Step 3: Confirm that the request is in the current ERCOT process

Ask for a written status tied to your application or Large Load Integration identifier. The answer should distinguish receipt of documents from acceptance, study qualification, classification, commitment and any later approval.

Request these status details

  • The date the provider deemed the submission complete or identified missing information.
  • The ERCOT process and Batch Zero criteria being applied to the request.
  • The application identifier and the provider’s corresponding internal project number.
  • Whether verification materials or responses are outstanding, especially for a proposed data center.
  • Whether the project has been studied, classified, committed, deferred, rejected or placed in another status, and the effective date of that status.
  • Which assumptions ERCOT and the provider are using for MW, ramp, point of interconnection and in-service date.

ERCOT’s August 3 notice confirms that verification delayed data-center classifications, but it does not publish the status of every request. A provider saying that documents were received is not the same as ERCOT confirming a Batch Zero classification.

Step 4: Ask what can actually be served

Request a location-specific deliverability answer rather than a general statement that the region has available capacity. The provider and ERCOT study should identify system limitations, operating limits and facilities needed to avoid violations of applicable reliability standards.

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Items to obtain in writing

  • Serviceable load: The MW that can be delivered, by commissioning stage and target year.
  • Timing: The earliest date for initial energization and each planned increment, tied to facility and network upgrades.
  • Transmission constraints: Contingencies, thermal limits, voltage issues, stability concerns or other operating conditions that restrict output.
  • Required facilities: New or upgraded lines, transformers, breakers, substations, protection, communications or control equipment.
  • Operating limits: Curtailment, ramp-rate, power-factor, dispatch, outage or seasonal restrictions that apply before or after upgrades.
  • Cost and responsibility: Which party builds, owns, finances and maintains each required facility, and what security or construction commitments are required.
  • Study assumptions: Other committed or must-study loads and generation included in the model, plus the treatment of your on-site resources.

Batch Zero evaluates qualifying requests together, so a result can depend on the combined set of studied and committed loads, not just your feeder or substation. Ask how changes in neighboring projects would affect your allocated capacity and upgrade sequence.

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Step 5: Keep study approval separate from permission to energize

A favorable study or queue position does not authorize energization. Under the former Section 9 Q&A, later requirements included executed agreements, construction notice and security, inclusion in the network operations model, operational telemetry, a current commissioning plan and any applicable stability or net-metering conditions. The exact requirements now in force must be confirmed in the current Planning Guide and with the provider.

Use an energization gate checklist

  • Interconnection, transmission-service and other required agreements are executed.
  • Required network and interconnection facilities are constructed, tested and accepted.
  • Financial security, construction notice and other commitments are complete.
  • The project is represented correctly in ERCOT’s network operations model.
  • Required telemetry, communications, protection and control testing is complete.
  • The provider has accepted the current Load Commissioning Plan.
  • Any stability, fault-duty, protection, net-metering or operating conditions are satisfied.
  • The provider and ERCOT have issued the applicable authorization to energize.

Do not schedule equipment delivery or a customer-occupancy date as if a study result were an energization approval. Put the final authorization requirement on the project’s critical path.

Step 6: Recheck the project whenever a material assumption changes

ERCOT’s Q&A says changes to load type, schedule, point of interconnection or controls may require a full or partial restudy. Treat the following as reportable changes:

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  • Raising the design peak or accelerating the ramp.
  • Adding buildings, meters, transformers or a second point of interconnection.
  • Moving the site boundary or changing the proposed substation.
  • Replacing a steady load with power-electronics equipment or a more variable process.
  • Adding, removing or changing on-site generation, storage, export controls or islanding capability.
  • Changing curtailment, automatic controls, power factor or protection settings.
  • Moving the requested in-service date forward or backward enough to alter the upgrade sequence.

Before approving a design change, ask the provider whether it changes Batch Zero eligibility, study assumptions, allocated MW, required upgrades, security or commissioning conditions. Keep a dated change log so the provider and ERCOT are always evaluating the same project.

How to compare candidate Texas sites

Compare sites using provider-confirmed evidence, not marketing claims or a statewide queue chart. Build a side-by-side decision table with these fields:

Decision axis What to record for each site
Provider and process Serving TSP/DSP, current intake route, application identifier and Batch Zero eligibility or status.
Load profile Requested peak MW, commissioning increments, ramp rate, load type and controls.
Electrical arrangement Voltage, point or points of interconnection, service-delivery points and proposed substation.
Competing demand Other committed and must-study loads included in the provider or ERCOT study.
Deliverability Provider-confirmed MW available by year and by commissioning stage.
Upgrades Required transmission facilities, responsible party, estimated in-service date and construction dependencies.
Operating terms Curtailment, outage, ramp, power-factor and other limits before and after upgrades.
On-site supply Credible dependable output, fuel and runtime limits, export or islanding controls and residual grid draw.

A site with a shorter line to an existing substation is not automatically better. A nearby constrained corridor, a large cluster of committed loads or a long-lead transformer can make its schedule worse than a more distant site with a clearer upgrade path.

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What on-site generation and islanding change

Batch Zero may support pathways for credible on-site self-supply and for loads that agree to curtail in response to local transmission constraints. “Credible” means the provider and ERCOT can model the resource and its controls, availability and operating limits; a conceptual generator that may be purchased later should not be treated as firm capacity.

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A facility that is genuinely islanded and has no grid connection generally falls outside ERCOT’s interconnection process, although Public Utility Commission of Texas registration may still apply. If the facility can import from or export to the ERCOT grid at any time, disclose that connection and evaluate it under the applicable interconnection rules.

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How long does connection take?

There is no single ERCOT timeline for a data center. The schedule depends on the project’s completeness and commitment, the Batch Zero process, local transmission conditions, other studied loads, equipment lead times, permitting and construction. The August 2026 verification delay also means the originally planned August 7 classification milestone should not be used as a firm date.

Ask for a milestone schedule with dates or date ranges for document completeness, ERCOT status, study results, agreements, security, design, procurement, construction, testing, model and telemetry acceptance, initial energization and each load increment. If a date depends on a transmission upgrade, identify the upgrade’s own design, permitting and construction critical path.

What statewide queue statistics can—and cannot—tell you

ERCOT reported that its February 2026 Large Load Interconnection queue contained approximately 400 individual requests totaling 239,000 MW. ERCOT’s June 2026 release reported more than 438,000 MW of large-load requests, with nearly 89 percent attributed to data centers. These figures come from different report dates and should not be combined into one consistent snapshot.

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Neither figure predicts whether a particular site will connect. Queue totals do not reveal your feeder’s thermal limit, the upgrade schedule, your application’s verification status or the MW your provider can deliver by your target date. Use them only as context for why ERCOT is managing large requests through a system-wide process.

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Common failure modes and better responses

“The site is in the ERCOT queue, so power is reserved.”

Why it fails: A queue entry can precede study completion, classification, commitment and construction. Response: Obtain the application identifier, current status, allocated or serviceable MW and conditions in writing.

“The utility said the substation has capacity.”

Why it fails: Local transformer headroom may not survive transmission contingencies or the combined impact of other loads. Response: Ask for ERCOT and provider study assumptions, constraints, required upgrades and operating limits.

“We can add generators later.”

Why it fails: Unmodeled or unreliable self-supply may not count toward deliverability or curtailment commitments. Response: Submit nameplate, dependable output, controls, fuel limits and operating modes before relying on the resource.

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“Our design is only changing slightly.”

Why it fails: MW, ramp, controls, point of interconnection and schedule changes can require a full or partial restudy. Response: Report the change before design approval and obtain the provider’s written determination.

“A study approval means we can energize.”

Why it fails: Agreements, security, construction, network-model updates, telemetry, testing and commissioning conditions may remain. Response: Track a separate energization gate checklist and obtain explicit authorization.

Official records to monitor

For current requirements, use ERCOT’s Large Load Integration page for applicant and provider forms, guides and attestations. Check the ERCOT Planning Guide, especially Section 9 for large-load interconnection and Section 6.6 for Network Operations Model issues, while recognizing that ERCOT’s process Q&A is informational and the Protocols and Planning Guide govern if they conflict.

Monitor the ERCOT Large Load Working Group for stakeholder materials and meetings. For volatile decisions, review ERCOT Market Notices and Public Utility Commission of Texas open-meeting materials. Process labels, verification requirements and classification timing can change, so archive the version and date of every document used in the project decision.

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Questions your provider should answer before you commit the site

  • What is the current process for this exact load, voltage and point of interconnection?
  • Which ERCOT and provider forms are required, and what makes the application complete?
  • What Batch Zero criteria and verification materials apply?
  • What MW can be energized on each date, and what assumptions support that number?
  • Which transmission or distribution upgrades are required, who is responsible and when must each be in service?
  • What curtailment, outage, ramp, power-factor, protection and telemetry conditions apply?
  • What agreements, security, model updates, tests and commissioning approvals remain before energization?
  • How would a change in MW, schedule, controls, generation or point of interconnection affect the study?

The practical decision rule

Proceed only when the serving provider has tied your defined project to a current ERCOT process record and has provided a location-specific path from study status to deliverable MW and authorized energization. Treat every statewide statistic, preliminary utility estimate and unverified classification as context—not as a power guarantee. ERCOT President and CEO Pablo Vegas described Batch Zero as “a fundamental shift in how ERCOT manages the significant growth of large load interconnection,” but the project-level proof remains your provider’s current study, upgrade plan and energization authorization.

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