Oct 21, 2026 · Research · 2 min

SPP’s federal review and the Texas connection

SPP’s large load rules face federal review. NERC’s separate registry proposal is now at FERC.

In June, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission told six regional grid operators to explain their rules for connecting big power users like data centers, or change them.¹ One is the Southwest Power Pool, or SPP, which runs the grid across much of the central US. ERCOT, which runs most of the Texas grid, was not on the list.

The Texas regulator also joined the SPP proceeding. The state's utility regulator, the Public Utility Commission of Texas, signed on July 8.² Rowan Digital Infrastructure and Crusoe also filed to intervene.³

SPP asked for more time in August. FERC gave it until November 20.⁴

What SPP already has

FERC approved a separate process for big new loads in SPP in January. In June it approved a second option: service that can be interrupted, for up to seven years.⁵

The separate reliability process

ERCOT was not named in these six FERC tariff proceedings. That does not exclude it from the separate federal reliability framework. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation, or NERC, approved registry categories through its Board for Computational Load Owners and Computational Load Operators. NERC filed the revisions with FERC on October 21. Regulatory approval remains pending.⁶

The standards follow a separate process. NERC’s October 15 announcement says the proposed computational load standards passed final ballot and would next go to its Board for adoption before filing with FERC. A ballot result does not make a standard effective.⁸

The August proposal used thresholds of at least 50 MW and at least 100 kV, as described by the regional reliability entity SERC. Project teams should check the final approved criteria and implementation dates before treating registration as an effective obligation.⁹

What to watch

• November 20: SPP's answer.
• NERC’s registry filing at FERC, and Board action on its separately balloted standards.^6,8
• In Texas, the state rule has applied since October 8.⁷

What this means for a project

Keep three questions separate: what service is available under the tariff today, what remains under review, and what supports the project’s connection schedule. Record the service’s duration and interruption conditions alongside its study process. A regulator’s response deadline is not an energization commitment.

Preserve each dated project milestone and update the procedural record when new evidence arrives. The SPP proceeding, NERC filing and Texas rule can affect the same developer through different obligations; none substitutes for a project-specific interconnection record.

Reviewed October 26, 2026. The NERC discussion now reflects the October filing and ballot announcement. Original publication date retained.^6,8 Pallara represents no applicant. Not legal advice.