In May, we wrote that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) had committed to act by the end of June 2026 on its large load interconnection proceeding, and we flagged three open questions to watch: the federal-state jurisdictional line, how the costs of new infrastructure would be allocated, and how FERC would define a “large load.” On June 18, FERC acted, but it did not hand down the single national rule many expected. Instead, it issued six tailored show cause orders, one to each regional grid operator under its jurisdiction.
What FERC Issued on June 18
Rather than finalize a rule in Docket No. RM26-4-000, FERC opened six separate proceedings under Section 206 of the Federal Power Act directed at the ISOs (Independent System Operators) and RTOs (Regional Transmission Organizations):
- PJM: Docket No. EL26-67
- Southwest Power Pool (SPP): Docket No. EL26-68
- New York ISO (NYISO): Docket No. EL26-69
- Midcontinent ISO (MISO): Docket No. EL26-70
- California ISO (CAISO): Docket No. EL26-71
- ISO New England (ISO-NE): Docket No. EL26-72
Each order preliminarily finds that the region’s existing tariff appears unjust and unreasonable because it does not account for the way data centers and other large loads connect to and use the transmission system. Each grid operator and its transmission owners now have 60 days to justify the status quo or file tariff revisions.
The orders converge on five categories of reform:
- clearer transmission service application and study processes, including consideration of alternative transmission technologies;
- protections against cost shifting, paired with new transparency into transmission costs;
- rules for co-location and behind-the-meter generation;
- new transmission services for flexible loads that can limit their use; and
- a study path for generation sited electrically close to the loads it serves.
The rulemaking docket stays open, and FERC encourages utilities outside the RTO and ISO regions to bring their own proposals under Section 205.
Why FERC Chose Six Proceedings Over One Rule
A single rule would have been one set of requirements applied uniformly across very different markets. By moving region by region, FERC can act quickly, credit the progress some operators have already made, and let each region tailor its answer. PJM’s co-location order and SPP’s High Impact Large Load process are both cited as models. The tradeoff is fragmentation: six records, six timelines, and six sets of regional specifics rather than one.
The jurisdictional question we flagged last month got a clearer answer, with a similar cascading effect. FERC asserted authority over the rates, terms, and study processes for transmission service to large loads and over the network upgrade costs that flow into wholesale rates. It then drew the line at retail, telling state commissions that protecting residential and small business customers from cost shifts is their job because FERC cannot reach retail cost allocation under the law.
Filing Deadlines for the Six Records
The practical implication is a monitoring problem that just multiplied. What was one docket is now six FERC proceedings moving on a compressed, overlapping schedule, alongside the still-open rulemaking and the state rate cases the federal orders will touch. FERC staff estimated the orders reach roughly 200 million people across more than 30 states and the District of Columbia, covering close to two-thirds of the electricity load served under FERC-jurisdictional rates.
The near-term calendar is tight, and it runs from the June 18 issuance date. Motions to intervene are due within 21 days. Resource adequacy informational reports are due within 30 days. Requests to hold a proceeding in abeyance while a region develops a Section 205 filing are due within 45 days. Show cause responses are due within 60 days, with comments and protests following 30 days after those responses.
After the final deadline, the six records will diverge, and the developer, utility, advocate, or advisor with a stake in more than one region will be reading several proceedings at once.
Monitoring the Dockets and Filings
Tracking a single rulemaking was already demanding. Following six regional proceedings, an open rulemaking, and the state dockets they intersect is a different order of work, and the kind of multijurisdictional monitoring HData’s operating system is built to handle. HData users can subscribe to any of the six dockets or related state proceedings with hourly, daily, or weekly notifications whenever new filings are posted. As the dockets become populated with filings, users can apply Regulatory AI to summarize, synthesize, and assess the data, reducing manual research and analysis and accelerating action.
To learn more about HData’s purpose-built tools and Regulatory AI, request a demo.
About HData
As the AI-native operating system for energy regulation, HData serves the largest customer ecosystem in regulated energy, helping utilities, regulators, advocates, advisory firms, corporates, and energy technology companies navigate regulatory complexity. Through centralized data, domain AI, and purpose-built applications, HData accelerates the research, analysis, and workflows critical to how the future of energy is decided.
