DOE Directs FERC To Consider Groundbreaking Rules Related To Large Load Interconnection

On October 23, 2025, the Secretary of Energy ("Secretary") invoked a rarely utilized provision of the Department of Energy Organization Act ("DOE Act"),¹ directing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC") to initiate preliminary rulemaking procedures, through a proposed Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ("ANOPR") that would consider potential reforms to enhance the timeliness and processes related to the interconnection of large loads to the transmissions system.

As the Secretary explained, the driving factor for the proposed ANOPR is the expected extraordinary rate of growth of large loads—anticipated to be higher than at any point in the past two decades—and the increasing quantities of large commercial and industrial loads, most notably data centers, that are connecting rapidly to the transmission system.² In turn, the ANOPR proposes to standardize the interconnection procedures and agreements for such loads, including those seeking to share