Fixing interconnection

Catalyst · 21 Sept 2023 · 42m

What this episode covers

Tyler Norris, a PhD candidate at Duke University and former VP of Development at Cypress Creek Renewables, explains how ERCOT’s 'connect-and-manage' interconnection process enables Texas to install 40+ gigawatts of wind and 19 gigawatts of solar, outpacing other states despite having half the peak load of PJM. He contrasts this with the rest of the US, where FERC Order 2023’s shift to cluster studies has not yet solved the systemic delays caused by reliance on System Impact Studies to identify and fund grid upgrades. Norris argues that other markets can adopt Texas’s model by separating proactive transmission planning from the interconnection queue, allowing generators to connect quickly while bearing curtailment risk, thereby accelerating the energy transition.

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