Sponsor
Adam Schiff
Senator · D-CA
Senator · D-CA
Official title: Amend the Federal Power Act to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to issue a final rule relating to the interconnection of large load facilities with the transmission system, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 18, 2026 by Adam Schiff · Last progress May 18, 2026
The bill streamlines and standardizes planning and data collection to support large electricity loads and U.S. AI competitiveness and reliability, but does so in ways that may shift substantial costs and operational risks onto other ratepayers, local communities, developers, and taxpayers while reducing some public transparency.
Utilities, transmission providers, and state grid operators get clearer, standardized interconnection procedures and planning guidance, reducing uncertainty and improving transmission planning for large new loads.
State governments, utilities, and planners receive data from data centers that improves forecasting of load growth and resource adequacy, strengthening reliability and energy security planning.
Tech sector workers, national labs, and utilities benefit from creation of an AI-focused National Laboratory testbed and related R&D that can yield more energy-efficient AI operations and grid-integration solutions.
Residential and other ratepayers could face higher costs because prioritizing large-load interconnection (e.g., data centers) risks shifting grid upgrade and reliability costs onto other customers.
Developers and prospective large-load customers (including smaller operators) may face large upfront, potentially nonrefundable bills because the bill requires new large loads to pay 100% of interconnection studies and network upgrade costs.
Requirements to accept curtailability, demand-flexibility conditions, and non-firm transmission access mean colocated or on-site generation facilities face higher risks of interruption and could be delayed or denied interconnection if they can't meet technical or contractual terms.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Adds definitions for large-load facilities and directs FERC to adopt standard interconnection procedures and an ordered interconnection queue for loads >50 MW within one year.
Creates definitions for “large load” facilities (like data centers) and directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to issue final rules within one year to establish standard interconnection procedures and a formal, ordered interconnection queue for large loads seeking to connect to the interstate transmission system. The bill is definitional in much of its text but mandates FERC action to manage how very large electricity customers interconnect so states, utilities, and the grid operator can better plan for reliability, congestion, and cost impacts of rapid load growth.