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Tyler H.

2026-07-18 · 20:43 UTC ·@tylerhnorris ·2 min read

Brief

Tyler H. Norris argues that pairing proactive transmission planning with non‑restrictive generator interconnection speeds deployment and focuses upgrades where they deliver the most value, easing supply‑chain pressure. He points to ERCOT’s CREZ (completed ~2013) and a GridLab analysis of ERCOT’s 'connect and manage' as evidence, while others note queue delays >5 years and doubling interconnection costs since 2017.

Why it matters

Tyler H. Norris testified to FERC at its 2024 generator interconnection workshop that proactive transmission planning combined with non‑restrictive generator interconnection are complementary and mutually reinforcing; non‑restrictive interconnection helps planners target highest‑value network upgrades instead of requiring full deliverability upgrades for every new generator, reducing demand on strained transmission supply chains.

Key details

  • CREZ (completed around 2013) is widely credited with unlocking West Texas wind and subsequent load growth; ERCOT analysts say both CREZ‑style proactive transmission and flexible interconnection were central to ERCOT’s 2010s success, though CREZ’s explanatory role for the 2019+ solar/storage boom is less clear.
  • A GridLab paper by @joshdr83 and Michael E. Webber finds ERCOT’s 'connect and manage'—tolerating congestion and occasional curtailment—enabled faster, lower‑cost market entry, more efficient use of limited transmission, and clearer nodal price signals for where upgrades are most valuable; Grayson Flood adds interconnection timelines often exceed five years and costs have doubled since 2017.
Source evidence

Proactive transmission planning + non-restrictive generator interconnection are highly complementary and mutually reinforcing, as I testified to @FERC at its 2024 generator interconnection workshop [1].

A reason they're complementary is that non-restrictive generator interconnection can enable transmission planners to better identify and focus on the highest value network upgrades, rather than responding in incremental piecemeal fashion requiring full deliverability upgrades for every new individual generator (which carries the additional benefit of relieving already-stressed supply chains by reducing demand for transmission upgrade services and equipment for reactive upgrades).

CREZ is widely credited and understood to be a core element of ERCOT's success in the 2010s - especially unlocking West Texas wind (and load growth!) following CREZ completion in ~2013. Its explanatory power in ERCOT's solar/storage boom since 2019 is less clear. Parsing this out is a valuable exercise, but there is little disagreement among ERCOT analysts that both elements are central to the story.

As @joshdr83 @MichaelEWebber conclude in a paper released earlier this month [2]:

"ERCOT’s connect and manage approach, by tolerating congestion and occasional curtailment as operational features, has enabled faster, lower-cost market entry and more efficient use of limited transmission capacity compared to invest and connect approaches that require extensive upfront upgrades.15 An additional advantage of allowing congestion to occur is that it provides clear signals for where transmission investment is most valuable, as these benefits can be quantified through price differences across network nodes. In that way, the connect and manage approach also provides more certainty for transmission investment."

[1] nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/p…
[2] gridlab.org/portfolio-item/t…

Link

Comments for FERC Workshop on Innovations and Efficiencies in Generator Interconnection

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) invited Tyler H. Norris, J.B. Duke Fellow and Duke University PhD student, to serve as a panelist at FERC’s Staff-Led Workshop on Innovations and...
nicholasinstitute.duke.edu

Grayson Flood (@grayson_flood)

This bill correctly nails that the interconnection queue is an affordability issue. Interconnection timelines often exceed 5 years and costs have doubled since 2017. We all end up paying for that.

But people talking about Texas' grid often only tell half the story. 🧵

— https://nitter.net/grayson_flood/status/2078179065668735101#m