The FERC large load interconnection docket is becoming the site of one of the most consequential regulatory debates in years. Hundreds of filings reveal a complex tug-of-war over who gets access to the grid, and when. Hyperscalers are pushing for fast-track lanes for AI data centers that promise flexibility, arguing they shouldn’t be stuck in the same years-long queue as inflexible load. Grid operators, though, are warning that voluntary flexibility just isn’t enough. They’re pushing for strict, enforceable curtailment — or even requiring data centers to bring matching generation with them.
Back in October, the DOE tasked FERC with ironing out a standardized federal framework for large load interconnection. Now, the commission is weighing in on some of the biggest questions: What does it mean for a data center to be flexible? How should that flexibility be enforced? And what happens to ratepayers — and the physics of the grid itself — when large loads surge?
The proceeding is still in its early stages, and the docket is a fractured landscape of competing visions. But buried in the noise, there are clear trend lines. In this Latitude Dispatch, we’re joined by Alex Klaessig, chief data officer at Halcyon, to put some numbers behind the filings and identify the questions, disagreements, and areas of consensus from thousands of pages of stakeholder comments.
We’ll unpack where hyperscalers, utilities, and lawmakers land on the big questions:
- Does FERC have jurisdictional authority over large load interconnections?
- Should curtailability guarantee expedited queue processing?
- Who should foot the bill for network upgrades?
- And should flexibility be voluntary — or an enforceable obligation?
Bring your questions or submit them ahead of time to editors@latitudemedia.com.
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