This updates a September 4^th story to include additional information about ERCOT’s classification results for Batch Zero and the recommendation of PUCT’s staff for large load interconnection standards

ERCOT has begun to notify each of the estimated 300 large load applicants seeking authorization via the Batch Zero process of their provisional classification results.

The provisional classification indicates whether each load applicant has been included in the batch on a preliminary basis, though ERCOT notes the classifications are still subject to multiple conditions including interconnection verification, modeling deficiency cures, and the result of its good cause exception filing with the Texas PUC allowing large loads to qualify. However, ERCOT does note it will not seek a good cause exception for every large load that requested it and has notified those that it will not pursue.

A source familiar with the situation expected that all of the projects would not be fully notified of the base load qualification until early next week at latest. Those approved then still have to wait for the PUCT to let them know what will happen. For rejected projects, they got 100% of their deposits back, but there may be an appeal process from ERCOT to get projects back to Batch Zero.

Hut 8 had posted on X that its Beacon Point project had received a Base Load qualification. The company indicated on its 2Q26 earnings call in early August that it was confident in the information that it submitted on the 1 GW campus.

At an open meeting held on August 20, ERCOT’s Senior VP of Regulatory Policy, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary Chad Seely, the grid operator laid out a short-term timeframe to conditionally classify large loads by August 31.

Separately. staff for the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) recommended their rulemaking to implement large load interconnection standards on September 3. As has been previously reported, the new rule requires a USD 50,000 per MW fee prior to being included in an ERCOT interconnection study and also requires a large load customer to execute a standard large load agreement (SLLA), update its disclosures, post financial security and pay contribution in aid of construction (CIAC) for direct interconnection costs.

The recommendation will be considered at the September 11 open meeting.

Conditions

ERCOT noted it has conditionally determined that some large loads submitted may not qualify under the energized-load subparagraph it was submitted under but could qualify under a different one. ERCOT says it will seek a separate good cause exception from the PUC to allow these large loads to submit new eligibility materials and will allow 14 days from the September 3 notice for applicants to submit eligibility materials for consideration under this exception. Failure to submit these materials will result in a large load being unable to interconnect to the transmission system until it is studied in a future interconnection process.

Fees to get included in Zero Batch its potential refundability became an issue as projects were charged USD 50,000/MW to enter the accelerated cluster study.

ERCOT has also created a request form for large load applicants that disagree with their preliminary determinations including for large loads seeking base load classification that have been conditionally classified as studied load.

ERCOT next expects to send out RFIs and gather information from project through September while allowing developers to cure identified deficiencies. It expects to file its Batch Zero eligibility verification report by Dec. 10.

Technically, the grid operator is set to deliver the full Batch Zero interconnection study results on April 9, 2027, though ERCOT’s Seely indicated to the PUC that it will not make that date and is unclear on when an updated timeline will be formalized. Once ERCOT has more clarity on its timeframe, it expects to update that final deadline via another good cause exception request with the PUC.

ERCOT did not immediately return calls seeking comment.