Access documents related to the Large Loads Integration Key Project.
On June 18, 2026, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a show cause order instituting a proceeding under Section 206 of the Federal Power Act (EL26-72-000) related to the integration of large loads and co-located load arrangements.
Subject to FERC’s acceptance of the requested 90-day abeyance filed jointly with PTOs, the ISO anticipates conducting a stakeholder process ahead of a Nov. 16, 2026, Tariff filing under Section 205 to address the five categories of reform identified in FERC’s order.
Additionally, the order required submission of an informational report on resource adequacy. As described in the ISO’s July 20, 2026, report filed with FERC, while data centers and other large loads have not yet materialized in New England at scale, they could create circumstances requiring specific approaches and procedures to facilitate their interconnections and ensure system reliability. In preparation for the potential impacts of large loads, the ISO plans to include statements in its Nov. 16 filing to provide notice that large loads must “bring your own new generation” and that large loads will be excluded from the capacity market’s installed capacity requirement. The specific rules implementing these concepts will be discussed with stakeholders and submitted to FERC in 2027.
The Large Loads Integration Key Project is one of several key projects at the ISO, which continuously undertakes a variety of short- and long-term projects to enhance the region’s competitive wholesale electricity markets and ensure reliable operation of the power grid.
