DOE Directs FERC to Adopt Rules for Large-Load Grid Interconnections
DOE Secretary Wright issued an ANOPR on October 23, 2025, directing FERC to develop standardized interconnection rules for loads of 20 MW or more, including data centers and hybrid generation-plus-load facilities.
The U.S. Energy Secretary's October 23, 2025 advance notice of proposed rulemaking pushes FERC to assert Federal Power Act jurisdiction over large-load interconnections to the interstate transmission grid—a category historically left to states and individual utilities. The ANOPR sets 14 guiding principles, including a 20 MW threshold, alignment with FERC's seven-factor transmission/distribution test, integrated study of loads with generation interconnection queues, standardized deposits and withdrawal penalties, and treatment of hybrid facilities based on their injection and withdrawal rights. The action responds to grid strain and cost-allocation disputes driven by hyperscale data centers and co-located generation. Counsel advising utilities, RTOs, data-center developers, and co-location sponsors should anticipate a FERC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, comment opportunities, and likely litigation over federal vs. retail-rate authority. Watch for FERC's timeline, any state commission pushback, and whether the final framework applies retroactively to pending utility and RTO tariff filings.