NEUTAUR/Data Glossary/Interconnection Queue (Grid Connection Requests)

Interconnection Queue (Grid Connection Requests)

The interconnection queue is the public backlog of power projects — new generation and large loads like data centers — waiting for grid-operator approval to connect.

Before a new power plant or a very large electricity consumer (for example, a data-center campus) can connect to the electrical grid, it must apply to the regional grid operator — an Independent System Operator (ISO) or Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) such as PJM, MISO, ERCOT, SPP, or CAISO. The list of pending applications is the interconnection queue, and it is public.

Why it is useful

A queue entry is filed years before a facility is energized. Aggregated, the queue is one of the earliest structural indicators of where large, planned electricity demand and supply are being positioned geographically.

How NEUTAUR uses it

NEUTAUR tracks interconnection-queue activity as an internal structural measure of planned grid capacity. It is treated as an early observation of physical infrastructure intent, not a prediction of any company outcome.

Limits

  • Many queued projects are withdrawn before completion, so raw queue size overstates what will be built.
  • Approval timelines vary widely between grid regions.

Data source

ISO/RTO interconnection queues (PJM, MISO, ERCOT, SPP, CAISO)