Status of the rule: the Public Utility Commission of Texas adopted its large-load interconnection rule under Senate Bill 6 (16 TAC 25.194, Project 58481) on 2026-09-18. It took effect on 2026-10-08. The figures below are read from the adoption order, as of 2026-09-18.
Calculator
- Security to post before the study
- $15,000,000
- Study fee
- $100,000
- Kept if the request is withdrawn after capacity is allocated (20% of the security)
- $3,000,000
- At or above the large-load threshold (75 MW)?
- Site control the rule accepts
- lease of at least five years, deed, or a signed option to purchase or lease
An appraisal roll value is not a market price. The comparison is only there to show the size of the security next to the land.
The same arithmetic for three request sizes. This table is computed when the page is built, so it reads the same with scripts off.
| Requested peak demand | Security to post | Study fee | Kept if withdrawn after capacity is allocated |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 MW | $5,000,000 | $100,000 | $1,000,000 |
| 300 MW | $15,000,000 | $100,000 | $3,000,000 |
| 1,000 MW | $50,000,000 | $100,000 | $10,000,000 |
This is arithmetic on the published rule, not legal advice. Confirm with ERCOT and your transmission provider.
Where each figure comes from
| Figure | Value | Source | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security per MW of requested peak demand | $50,000 | PUCT Project 58481, order adopting 16 TAC 25.194 (d)(2)(B); adopted 2026-09-18, effective 2026-10-08 | 2026-09-18 |
| Study fee (flat) | $100,000 | PUCT Project 58481, order adopting 16 TAC 25.194 (d)(2)(A) | 2026-09-18 |
| Share of the security kept on withdrawal after capacity is allocated | 20% | PUCT Project 58481, order adopting 16 TAC 25.194 (d)(3)(B) to (E) and (f)(3)(B) | 2026-09-18 |
| Large-load threshold | 75 MW | PUCT Project 58481, order adopting 16 TAC 25.194 (b)(1) | 2026-09-18 |
| Site control the rule accepts | lease of at least five years, deed, or a signed option to purchase or lease | PUCT Project 58481, order adopting 16 TAC 25.194 (d)(1)(A) | 2026-09-18 |
How to read them: the security is posted with the intermediate agreement, before the study. After the study it is the greater of that amount or the upgrade cost allocated to the request. The study fee is due when the intermediate agreement is signed, and the unused part is returned. ERCOT may add its own flat study fee, which the rule does not set. The kept share applies when a customer withdraws after ERCOT has allocated capacity, and the calculator assumes every requested MW was allocated. The whole security comes back, less amounts owed, on withdrawal before the study starts or when no capacity is allocated. All of it is forfeited when a customer neither withdraws nor signs the interconnection agreement by the deadline.
What SB 6 changed
Before the rule, a large new load in ERCOT could ask for a grid connection with little money down, and many requests covered the same project at several sites. The adopted rule applies to a new or expanded interconnection at or above the threshold (75 MW) at a single site. Before any study starts, the customer signs an intermediate agreement with the utility, shows site control, discloses duplicate requests elsewhere in Texas, pays the study fee and posts the security. The aim is that the requests ERCOT studies are backed by land and money.
What counts as site control
The rule accepts one of these property interests, held by the customer or an affiliate: lease of at least five years, deed, or a signed option to purchase or lease. A signed option counts, so a developer does not have to own the land before the study. Site control is shown before the study starts, and what a customer attests to is open to audit.
What the calculator leaves out
It does not estimate when power arrives. For that, read how Voltane estimates time to power. It also leaves out the cost of grid upgrades allocated after the study, any ERCOT study fee, payments in aid of construction, the price of the land, and the rules of utilities outside ERCOT. Use it to size the cash a request ties up, then check the current rule text.
See the land and grid evidence behind a site
Voltane screens Texas land against transmission, substations, the ERCOT queue, flood and gas, with a source and a date on every fact.