Texas regulators moved Thursday to pare back proposed requirements for data centers seeking to connect to the state’s main power grid, although a final decision won’t come this month.
A proposal from Chair Thomas Gleeson of the state Public Utility Commission would lower the fees for large loads and add other standards developers can use to show that they have a site ready to go. The proposed rule will be published in the Texas Register, and the PUC will accept comments on it until April 17.
If a project meets the minimum — or “gating” — requirements proposed by the PUC, it would be included in the first tranche of sites studied and potentially granted the ability to interconnect to the grid managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Officials with ERCOT and the PUC are juggling calls to make sure Texas has reliable electricity without causing a surge in prices as new demand comes online and requires expanded energy infrastructure.
“I think it’s appropriate to take all these gating issues that we’ve been talking about and try to find ways that we can align the regulatory commitments we’re looking for with the commercial milestones and the development process for these large loads,” Gleeson said during Thursday’s open meeting.
