Methodology

This tracker is a manually maintained reference for comparing U.S. ISO/RTO markets where generation interconnection, large-load demand, transmission constraints, and data-center development are starting to overlap.

It is designed to help people working in power, data centers, construction, infrastructure, development, and business development get oriented quickly across markets.

The tracker brings together four kinds of signals:

• Generation interconnection queue pressure
• Large-load and data-center demand signals
• Interconnection reform and market-rule changes
• Selected publicly announced projects that may affect load growth, generation needs, transmission investment, or grid-adjacent construction activity

This tracker is not an official ISO/RTO publication. It is not a complete project database, engineering study, investment recommendation, legal analysis, reliability assessment, or source of truth for final project decisions.

Use it as a directional market screen and starting point for further diligence. Verify figures against the cited ISO/RTO, regulatory, utility, company, or project source before relying on them.

Positioning tiers are the author's analysis of how each ISO/RTO currently screens for large-load and data-center development.

The tiers are based on a combination of:

• Queue size and congestion
• Reported or forecast large-load demand
• Average interconnection timing
• Reform status and market-rule clarity
• Transmission constraints
• Publicly announced data-center, generation, and infrastructure activity
• Whether the market appears easier, harder, or more uncertain for large-load development

The tiers are not official ISO/RTO ratings.

Favorable means the market appears relatively better positioned for large-load growth based on current rules, transparency, development activity, and/or interconnection posture. Favorable does not mean easy, unconstrained, or low risk.

Mixed means demand is real, but the market has meaningful uncertainty around queue timing, grid capacity, cost allocation, siting, transmission availability, or rule changes.

Challenged means large-load or data-center development appears more constrained by queue duration, transmission limits, market size, cost, permitting, siting, or other structural issues.

These tiers will change as ISO/RTO rules, project announcements, load forecasts, and queue data change.

Confidence levels describe the strength of the source base behind a figure or market signal.

High confidence means the figure or claim is supported by an ISO/RTO, utility, regulator, company announcement, official filing, or another primary source.

Medium confidence means the figure is supported by a credible secondary source, trade publication, public reporting, or a combination of sources, but may require additional verification before use.

Low confidence means the figure is directional, incomplete, based on limited public information, or not directly comparable across markets.

Confidence does not mean the number is permanent. Queue totals, load forecasts, interconnection timelines, project schedules, and reform status can change quickly.

This tracker uses public information only.

Sources may include:

• ISO/RTO queue reports
• ISO/RTO presentations and stakeholder materials
• FERC filings and orders
• State regulatory filings
• Utility planning documents
• Company announcements
• Public project filings
• Credible trade press and industry reporting

Primary ISO/RTO and regulatory sources are preferred where available. Secondary sources are used when they provide useful project context, market color, or public reporting that is not yet reflected cleanly in ISO/RTO data.

The tracker is manually reviewed and updated. The current public version shows the last full review date at the top of the site.

Because the site is manually maintained, figures should be treated as current to the last review date, not as real-time data.

ISO/RTO data is not perfectly comparable across markets.

A "queue MW" figure in one market may not mean the same thing as a queue figure in another market. Some figures refer to active generation interconnection queues. Others may reflect cluster windows, study groups, proposed additions, large-load requests, forecast peak contribution, or publicly reported demand signals.

Large-load and data-center figures are especially difficult to compare because each market uses different definitions and disclosure practices.

For example:

• A generation queue figure is not the same thing as actual generation that will get built.
• A large-load request is not the same thing as firm contracted demand.
• A forecast load contribution is not the same thing as a project announcement.
• A publicly announced data-center campus is not the same thing as confirmed grid service, final energization, or total near-term load.
• A transmission project signal is not the same thing as available interconnection capacity.

This tracker intentionally uses careful language such as "roughly," "approximately," "reported," "forecast," "tracked," "selected public signals," and "not directly comparable."

Readers should verify source documents before using the information for project decisions, commercial decisions, investment decisions, engineering work, legal analysis, or public claims.

Major announced projects are included as selected market signals, not a complete construction database, sales pipeline, contractor opportunity list, or recommendation.

Inclusion means only that a project has been publicly announced or reported and may be relevant to large-load demand, interconnection pressure, generation needs, transmission investment, or grid-adjacent construction activity.

Every entry should be backed by a cited public source where possible. The list makes no claim to completeness, and figures should be verified against the cited source before use.