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ARTICLE · 18 NOVEMBER 2025

FERC Large-Load Interconnection Preliminary Rulemaking: Key Takeaways For Data Center Developers, Other Large Load Projects, And Investors

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In late October 2025, at the direction of the Secretary of the US Department of Energy ("DOE"), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC" or the "Commission")...

United StatesEnergy and Natural Resources
Chad Richards
Chad Richards
Mitchell Holzrichter
Mitchell Holzrichter
John R.R. Tormey
John R.R. Tormey
Jimmie Zhang
Jimmie Zhang
Kseniia Kolontai
Kseniia Kolontai
Kai Ma
Kai Ma
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In late October 2025, at the direction of the Secretary of the US Department of Energy ("DOE"), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC" or the "Commission") opened a preliminary rulemaking proceeding with the potential to result in significant changes to how data centers, advanced manufacturing facilities, and other energy-intensive projects are interconnected to the US bulk electric transmission grid.

Background

On October 23, the Secretary of the DOE issued a directive (the "Directive") under Section 403 of the Department of Energy Organization Act (the "Act")1 to FERC to assert jurisdiction over the interconnection of large electrical loads to the US bulk electric transmission system and establish standardized interconnection procedures for such loads. The Directive attached an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ("ANOPR") entitled Ensuring the Timely and Orderly Interconnection of Large Loads, which outlines the need for large-load2 interconnectio

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