NYISO
Fast-growing large-load interest and an active reform push, but high costs, CLCPA clean-energy constraints, and a queue process still being redesigned create timing uncertainty.
Author analysis. Review against primary sources before relying on this for project decisions.
Verified facts and placeholders
Facts- Total queue MW
- 26,470 MWas of 2026-06-17
- Total queue projects
- 185as of 2026-06-17
- Avg interconnection wait
- 6 yearsas of 2026-06-17
- Large-load queue MW
- 11,900 MWas of 2026-06-17
- Queue status
- reform-in-progress
- Large-load posture
- Developing
- Generation queue notes
- Transitioning from class-year process to a Class Year Queue Window (cluster) concept. New cluster process targets ~50% faster path to construction for projects entering Q3 2024 onward. Methodology changes under review aim to reduce unnecessary upgrade costs.
- Large-load posture rationale
- Large-load queue grew from 1 GW (6 projects) in 2022 to ~11.9 GW (48 projects) by early 2026, much data-center-related. Gov. Hochul launched a PSC proceeding (Energize NY) to make data centers pay their fair share. NYISO evaluating large-load-specific interconnection reforms.
- Primary source
- www.nyiso.com/interconnections
Analyst read
Editorial analysis- Tier
- Mixed
- Rationale
- Fast-growing large-load interest and an active reform push, but high costs, CLCPA clean-energy constraints, and a queue process still being redesigned create timing uncertainty.
- What's working
- New cluster process targets ~50% faster path to construction.
- Active state-level effort to clarify cost allocation and speed responsible development.
- What's working against
- High power costs and CLCPA clean-energy mandates constrain generation options.
- Queue redesign and possible legislative moratorium create regulatory uncertainty.
- One thing to watch
- The December 2026 NYISO Board approval / FERC filing and whether New York leans toward a data-center moratorium or a structured framework.
- Analyst note
- New York wants data-center investment but on its own terms: pay your way, fit the clean-energy mandate. The 12x growth in large-load queue since 2022 shows the demand is real. For now it is a watch-and-position market while the rules settle through late 2026.
Major announced projects in this market
Exhibit 2 · supporting- TeraWulf Lake Mariner Campus (CB-5)Data Center · Under Construction · Barker / western New York, NY200 MWCOD Phased; CB-5 building H2 2026, expansion to 138+ MW by 2028-2029
Recent reforms
Source-backed- 2026-02Hochul 'Energize NY' PSC proceeding
Governor Hochul announced a PSC proceeding to streamline interconnection rules and require data centers driving exceptional demand to cover the grid-upgrade costs they create.
Source - 2026-03Class Year Queue Window proposal
NYISO continued refining its proposed class-year queue window to replace current interconnection queue processes; stakeholders still raising prioritization and off-ramp concerns.
Source
Upcoming milestones
Source-backed- 2026-12NYISO Board approval / FERC filing
NYISO targets Board approval and FERC filing of large-load interconnection reforms by December 2026.
Source - 2027-02NY DPS large-load white paper
DPS staff to convene a technical conference before Dec 31, 2026 and issue a recommendations white paper by Feb 12, 2027.
Source
Sources & last updated
Provenance- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
- Primary source
- https://www.nyiso.com/interconnections
- Source registry
- Data Center Knowledge: NY queue 11.9 GWPulled 2026-06-17 · Supports: largeLoadQueueMW, upcomingMilestoneshttps://www.datacenterknowledge.com/regulations/new-york-confronts-the-data-center-boom-balancing-growth-and-grid-reform
- Gov. Hochul Energize NY releasePulled 2026-06-17 · Supports: totalQueueProjects, largeLoadQueueMW, recentReformshttps://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-psc-proceeding-her-plan-ensure-data-centers-pay-their-fair-share
- Harris Beach Murtha: NYISO large-load revisionsPulled 2026-06-17 · Supports: largeLoadPostureRationale, upcomingMilestoneshttps://www.harrisbeachmurtha.com/insights/nyiso-considers-revisions-to-large-load-interconnection-process/
- Modo Energy: NYISO cluster reformPulled 2026-06-17 · Supports: generationQueueNoteshttps://modoenergy.com/research/en/nyiso-interconnection-queue-reform-cluster-study-battery-storage
- interconnection.fyi: live US ISO/utility queue dataPulled 2026-06-17 · Supports: totalQueueMW, totalQueueProjectshttps://www.interconnection.fyi