Overview
This technical report examines the reliability risks associated with the rapid growth of large load interconnections across the U.S. electric grid, with a focus on the Western Interconnection. Prepared for the Western Electricity Coordinating Council, the report looks at how new large loads are changing demand forecasts, interconnection processes, planning assumptions and bulk power system reliability considerations.
The report is intended to educate users, owners and operators of the electric power system about emerging large loads and the challenges they may create for reliable grid operation.
Why it matters
Large load interconnections are growing at an exponential rate. These loads include data centers, cryptocurrency mining operations, large industrial manufacturing facilities, hydrogen electrolyzers, transportation electrification, electrified heating and cooling, excavation mining, grow houses and agricultural loads.
The report highlights that even the lower end of current large load forecasts represents growth the electric power system has not seen since the 1950s. Without adequate risk mitigation, this growth could create reliability risks for the bulk power system and for the large load customers that depend on reliable electricity.
Key challenges explored
The report examines several areas of concern, including:
Large load growth across the Western Interconnection
Data centers as the dominant driver of large load interconnection requests
Inconsistent and evolving load interconnection processes
Speculative interconnection requests
Lack of standardised technical requirements for large loads
Limited data sharing from large load customers
Modeling and study limitations
Planning risks caused by mismatched construction timelines
Operational risks from load variability, ramping and ride-through behaviour
Cybersecurity and remote operational risks
Power quality and bulk power system performance issues
Regulatory gaps and the absence of direct NERC registration for large loads
Questions this resource helps answer
This resource helps stakeholders consider questions such as:
What types of large loads are emerging across the Western Interconnection?
How much of the large load queue is being driven by data centers?
Why are large load interconnection requests creating new planning and reliability challenges?
What data should large load customers provide to utilities and transmission planners?
Why are existing load interconnection processes becoming strained?
How can speculative requests affect planning and forecasting?
What operational characteristics of data centers and AI loads may affect grid reliability?
What lessons can the industry draw from the earlier integration of inverter-based resources?
What the report covers
The report provides a technical assessment of large load risks and challenges across planning, modeling, operations and regulation.
Key sections include:
Western Interconnection load growth
Definitions and historical context for large loads
Large load categories considered in the assessment
WECC industry advisory group findings
Bulk power system reliability risks posed by large loads
Large load interconnection risks and challenges
Modeling and study risks
Planning risks
Operational risks
Regulatory risks
Concluding remarks and industry lessons
Key findings and insights
The report notes that data center load interconnection requests made up nearly 80% of the surveyed large load interconnection queues, with the total large load queue size for ten respondents reaching 44,650 MW, close to the current system peak demand level for those entities.
It also highlights that the industry may be facing a similar trajectory to the earlier integration of inverter-based resources, where rapid growth, limited performance understanding and early disturbance events eventually led to deeper technical guidelines, recommendations and reliability standards.
Who this resource is for
This report may be useful for:
Utilities and transmission providers
Transmission planners
Planning coordinators
Grid operators
Reliability coordinators
State and regional regulators
Large load customers
Data center developers
Energy consultants and technical advisors
Stakeholders involved in load interconnection, modeling or reliability planning