Primary affected parties include transmission providers (utilities, independent transmission owners, ISOs/RTOs), project developers of dispatchable generation and storage, and grid operators. Transmission providers will gain a formal pathway to propose queue reforms that could accelerate and lower the cost of connecting dispatchable projects that support resource adequacy. Dispatchable project developers may see faster interconnection timelines and lower queue costs if they meet prioritization criteria. Grid operators and bulk-power system users may experience improved resource adequacy and reliability if prioritized projects come online sooner. Electric customers could benefit indirectly through improved reliability and potentially lower reliability-related costs over time.

Potential trade-offs and implementation risks:

• Prioritization may shift queue order and costs, creating winners and losers among developers; some intermittent projects or earlier-queued projects could face longer waits or higher cost responsibility.
• Transmission providers and FERC will need to define objective criteria for which projects qualify as reliability/resource-adequacy enhancing, which may be contested and require careful technical standards.
• The rulemaking and subsequent compliance impose administrative and planning burdens on transmission providers and the Commission, including monitoring and periodic reporting requirements.

Overall, the change aims to reduce delays and improve grid resilience by enabling more flexible, targeted queue management, but outcomes will depend on how FERC and transmission providers design and implement prioritization and eligibility rules.