Interconnection Queue Rationing Reforms

Transmission towers with sunset background.

After years of minimal progress on interconnection queue backlogs, many U.S. regional grid planners have introduced limits on connection requests from new power generation and rules that allow certain projects to “jump” ahead in the queues. While options for rationing queue processing capabilities that are consistent with long-standing open-access principles exist, in many cases, the core tenets of fairness and competition are being compromised. This report reviews current proposals and offers recommendations for beneficial interconnection reform going forward.