Texas Data Center Audit Pauses ERCOT Interconnection Studies
Data center developers with projects in ERCOT’s Batch Zero interconnection process must prepare for mandatory compliance audits and multi-month study delays before grid connection approval.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott directed ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission of Texas to conduct a comprehensive audit of all data centers in the interconnection queue before any additional projects advance. The audit, expected to take several months, will verify compliance with PUCT and ERCOT requirements and collect new data on financial incentives, power sourcing, water usage, community impacts, and ownership. ERCOT has paused Batch Zero classifications and study timelines for loads 75 MW and above, requested deadline waivers, and will issue mandatory RFIs to all affected projects. Projects failing to respond or providing false information will be deemed ineligible for Batch Zero. The Long-Term Load Forecast is also delayed as a result. Developers should gather required documentation and anticipate extended interconnection timelines.