The Public Utility Commission of Texas on June 18 approved the Electric Reliability Council of Texas Batch Zero process for large-user connection requests, "ensuring large electricity users like data centers only connect in quantities and locations the Texas grid can reliably support," ERCOT reported.
ERCOT said it is the first Independent System Operator in the nation to use a batch process to assess large electricity users wanting to connect to the grid.
"The new batch framework -- built through a robust stakeholder process with input from developers, utilities, generators, consumer advocates, and industry experts -- groups qualified large projects that are 75 megawatts (MW) and greater into a single study so ERCOT can assess the full picture of future electricity demand at once, fairly allocate available grid capacity, and identify needed transmission upgrades," ERCOT said.
The batch framework eliminates a previous project-by-project evaluation that had become lengthy and repetitive as large electricity users rushed to connect to the grid, ERCOT noted.
"Texas is experiencing an energy transformation unlike anything we have seen before," said ERCOT President and CEO Pablo Vegas. "This new process represents a fundamental shift in how ERCOT manages the significant growth of large load interconnection, providing a structured, transparent path forward that protects reliability for Texans while supporting the state's continued economic growth."
ERCOT is tracking more than 438,000 MW of large load requests, nearly 89 percent from data centers alone. "Batch Zero" is the name of the first group of large-user applicants to go through the new process.
ERCOT said its stakeholder-driven process included one-on-one interviews, public workshops, and formal committee sessions. It produced results unprecedented in scale, the grid operator said:
• More than 200 hours of live discussion
• Workshops averaging approximately 500 participants each
• Approximately 200 survey responses
• More than 290 written comments
"The response from the Texas energy community was remarkable. The depth of participation and quality of feedback were extraordinary, and both directly shaped how ERCOT manages large load connections in Texas," said Jeff Billo, Vice President, Interconnection and Grid Analysis.
The framework was approved by the Protocol Revision Subcommittee (PRS), Reliability and Operations Subcommittee (ROS), the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), and the ERCOT Board of Directors before PUCT consideration.
The principles established through the Batch Zero framework will serve as the foundation for an ongoing, comprehensive transmission planning process developed in partnership with stakeholders later this year.
"The Batch Zero framework gives large electricity users additional pathways to connect to the ERCOT grid that are expected to yield reliability benefits for Texans," ERCOT said.
The framework includes provisions for large customers that want to build their own onsite generation to self-supply some or all of their electricity, reducing the need to draw from the larger grid.
Facilities that are truly islanded with no grid connection would generally fall outside ERCOT's interconnection process, though they may still be subject to registration requirements with the PUCT.
Additionally, the framework creates a pathway to connect for large customers who agree to let ERCOT curtail their power use in response to local transmission constraints, reducing demand where and when the grid needs it most.
Next Steps for Batch Zero
Following the June 18 approval, ERCOT expects to notify Batch Zero applicants of their project classification in August 2026, at which point the full scope of Batch Zero will be known.
A final transmission plan covering the entire batch of projects across the state is expected to be published in Fall 2027. While not all interconnection requests result in built projects, ERCOT data shows the majority expect to be operational by 2030.
Applications for Batch 1 are expected to open in Summer 2027.
