ERCOT
Texas grid operator; 438 GW data-centre queue as Batch Zero interconnection studies get underway.
On 21 September, Governor Greg Abbott's permit freeze exposed the pressure around ERCOT's 438 GW large-load queue, about 90% of it data centres. ERCOT's connection-screening process now shapes Texas grid planning.
Last refreshed: 24 September 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Batch Zero is live at 438 GW queued: is Texas managing growth or watching it?
Timeline for ERCOT
Sent a 130-question survey to more than 400 projects
Data Centres: Boom and Backlash: Abbott halts Texas data centre permitsMentioned in: Fingrid warns 5 GW may not be built
Data Centres: Boom and BacklashSuspended its Batch Zero classification and will seek a PUCT good-cause exception
Data Centres: Boom and Backlash: ERCOT freezes its 205 GW sorting jobReceived Abbott's directive to audit data-centre projects
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European Energy MarketsBackground
ERCOT operates most of the Texas power grid and runs the process through which large electricity users seek connection. That role makes it a central institution in Texas data-centre development, where proposed demand can arrive faster than generation and transmission planning can respond.
The operator's Batch Zero process collects large-load details for classification. It gives Texas a way to distinguish projects that supply enough information for planning from requests that remain uncertain. ERCOT closed the Batch Zero submission window on 24 July 2026.
Connection decisions made through ERCOT affect which industrial projects can draw power from the Texas grid and when network upgrades need planning. Its queue management therefore links private development proposals to the public system's capacity and reliability needs.
ERCOT faces a 438 GW queue
Texas approved a formal process on 18 June for ERCOT to assess a 438 GW queue of proposed large loads. The queue had nearly doubled from 225 GW, while the resulting transmission plan is due in autumn 2027.
ERCOT had already closed Batch Zero submissions on 24 July, seeking complete large-load details from transmission and distribution providers before classifying demand. Governor Greg Abbott's 3 August audit order then put the operator's screening work under state scrutiny. For ERCOT, the issue is whether project information can support a credible grid plan before proposed demand hardens into connection commitments.