The grid operator for the Great Plains region is pitching a fast-track process for data centers and other large loads to connect to the grid.
The proposed process from Arkansas-based Southwest Power Pool would shorten the interconnection study timeline for large loads to just 90 days — provided the load operators help with reliability. That could mean either bringing supporting generation to offset demand or agreeing to limit use when the grid is strained.
The new process — which still must be approved by SPP’s board and by federal regulators — is designed to “balance reliability while enabling load growth and making sure that we’re not a barrier,” Casey Cathey, SPP’s vice president of engineering, said at a stakeholder meeting last week. Cathey added that the fast-track intends to be the “fastest connection in the United States.”
The proposal comes as the 14-state grid is facing an unprecedented surge in demand. SPP has estimated that its peak load could jump from 56,000 megawatts today to as high as 97,000 megawatts by 2035, a 75 percent increase in just 10 years.
