Too slow to connect? FERC under pressure to speed up grid interconnections

US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright is looking to position the US at the forefront of the AI race and revive domestic manufacturing, directing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to speed up the interconnection of large loads, including data centers.

According to the proposal, customers will be able to file joint, co-located load, and generation interconnection requests. This change is expected to help reduce costs and improve study times.

“The proposed rule advances President Trump’s agenda to ensure all Americans and domestic industries have access to affordable, reliable, and secure electricity,” the announcement reads.

Although historically, FERC has not had jurisdiction over load interconnection, Wright argues that the interconnection of large loads directly to the interstate transmission system falls “squarely” within the Commission’s jurisdiction.

“To usher in a new era of American prosperity, we must ensure all Americans and domestic industries have access to affordable, reliable, and secure electricity,” Wright says in a letter to Chairman Rosner and Commissioners.”

“To do this, large loads, including AI data centers, served by public utilities must be able to connect to the transmission system in a timely, orderly, and non-discriminatory manner,” Wright said, adding that the matter is “urgent”.

He adds that revitalizing domestic manufacturing and driving American AI innovation will require “unprecedented and extraordinary quantities of electricity.”

Wright then proposes 13 principles for large-load interconnections, such as requiring load and hybrid facilities to cover 100% of the network upgrades, while potentially expediting the study process for flexible loads to as little as two months. Under the proposal, “large load” will still be defined using a threshold of 20 megawatts.

In the letter, Wright requests that FERC take final action by April 30th, 2026.

This comes as part of proposed rulemaking for broader reforms to standardize large load interconnection. The announcement adds that Trump and Secretary Wright have been clear: the US needs to have a reliable supply of energy amid an unprecedented electricity demand surge.

In July, the White House released its new AI Action Plan, designed to "cement US dominance in artificial intelligence" and win the tech race with China. The plan includes building high-security US military and intelligence data centers and improving the security of AI systems.