NY — Power Infrastructure Updated 2026-07-17

New York

NYISO Storage Data Center PPAs Queue Bottlenecks Transmission Constraints

> Scope note: This section focuses on New York (NYISO footprint). All sources are current as of 2026-07-17.

1) Grid operator and market structure

2) Interconnection queue

  • Queue depth materially increased from the February 2026 baseline: The old July 2025 figure of 29 projects / 6,055 MW is now stale. Governor Hochul’s February 12, 2026 release stated that, as of January 2026, NYISO’s interconnection queue included 48 projects representing more than 11 GW of new large load, many related to energy-intensive industries such as data centers. Governor Kathy Hochul, 2026-02-12
  • 2026 Gold Book queue snapshot: NYISO’s 2026 Gold Book Table IV-7 lists load interconnection requests totaling 12,330.1 MW summer and 12,196.1 MW winter as of March 15, 2026. Listed data-center/technology requests include WNY STAMP (300 MW), 580 STAMP load increase (300 MW), Lake Mariner Data II (250 MW), Niagara Digital Campus (140 MW), Project Sycamore Orangeburg (22.3 MW), Orangeburg Expansion Phase 2 (30 MW), proposed data centers at 450 Broadway in Buchanan (200 MW), Greenidge 200 MW Data Center Project, Wulf Compute Data Center II (250 MW), a 1 GW East Fishkill data-center request, North East Data LLC (500 MW summer / 485 MW winter), St. Lawrence Infrastructure 1 (860 MW), and St. Lawrence Infrastructure 2 (1,935 MW). NYISO 2026 Gold Book, 2026-04
  • Large-load forecast embedded in NYISO planning: The 2026 Gold Book’s baseline large-load forecast rises from 538 MW of summer peak demand and 3,640 GWh of annual energy in 2026 to 2,643 MW and 19,400 GWh in 2035; the same table shows baseline winter large-load demand rising from 707 MW in winter 2026-27 to 2,710 MW in winter 2035-36. NYISO 2026 Gold Book, 2026-04
  • Forecast uncertainty: NYISO’s 2026 Gold Book states that the Table I-14 large-load forecasts do not necessarily match the proposed dates and MW values in the queue and include load projects not listed in the NYISO interconnection queue as of March 15, 2026; the “All Loads” row lists maximum aggregated zonal load of 12,663 MW for listed or forecast large-load projects. NYISO 2026 Gold Book, 2026-04
  • Data-center-specific queue update: Executive Order 62 reports that nearly 12 GW of data-center load requests were in the NYISO queue as of May 2026 and that more than 8 GW had entered during 2025 alone. This is more specific than the Gold Book’s broader 12.33 GW total for all load requests. New York Executive Order 62, 2026-07-14
  • Queue reform: NYISO’s February 3, 2026 stakeholder presentation for “Reliability Planning & Large Load Integration” states that the project objective is to improve the current load interconnection process, address bulk-system reliability concerns, speed the process, and consider process/organizational revisions for large loads with accelerated development timelines. NYISO, 2026-02-03
  • Federal large-load tariff review: On June 18, FERC opened NYISO Docket EL26-69-000 under Federal Power Act §206, one of six parallel RTO/ISO show-cause proceedings. NYISO must defend its existing tariff or propose revisions addressing large-load study processes, cost allocation and transparency, co-location/behind-the-meter generation, and flexible-load service; the order set a 60-day tariff response and a 30-day resource-adequacy report, both falling after this update’s cutoff. FERC, 2026-06-18 FERC NYISO Docket EL26-69-000, 2026-06-18
  • Average wait times: NYISO still does not publish a queue-wide average interconnection wait time for large-load projects in the sources reviewed; national LBNL queue research remains useful context but is not New York-specific. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2026-04

3) Ratepayer protection (cost allocation / tariffs / PSC orders)

  • Interconnection cost responsibility: NYISO’s tariff framework assigns interconnection-facility and upgrade cost responsibility through the OATT, but the rapid growth of load-only interconnection requests has triggered new state and NYISO reviews of whether existing procedures and tariff structures adequately protect ratepayers. NYISO OATT Attachment S, current as of 2026-06-10 NYISO, 2026-02-03
  • PSC large-load proceeding opened: The prior “no statewide large-load tariff” statement is now outdated. PSC instituted Case 26-E-0045 in February 2026 under the Energize NY Development initiative to review interconnection processes, cost-allocation mechanisms, and tariff structures for integrating large loads with transmission and distribution systems. Governor Kathy Hochul, 2026-02-12 NY DPS Case 26-E-0045 docket, 2026-02-12
  • PSC status as of July 17: Initial and reply comments were filed, with the reply deadline extended to June 15. The instituting order calls for a technical conference by December 31, 2026 and a DPS white paper by February 12, 2027; no final statewide data-center tariff, special rate class, or cost-allocation order had issued by July 17. NY PSC instituting order, 2026-02-12 NY DPS reply-comment notice, 2026-06-15
  • Stakeholder proposals are not yet Commission policy: The Joint Utilities urged tailored service classifications where large loads impose distinct impacts, minimum contract terms, collateral or other credit support, and minimum bills; National Grid similarly supported stronger forecasting discipline, financial commitments, and protections against non-materializing load while cautioning against one-size-fits-all mandates. These are party comments, not rulings. Joint Utilities comments, 2026-05-13 National Grid reply comments, 2026-06-15
  • Executive Order 62 enlarged Case 26-E-0045: DPS must prepare a data-center GEIS; consider a Grid Acceleration Fund financed by upfront data-center contributions for grid upgrades, demand response, clean supply/DERs, and an insurance pool against stranded or speculative load; consider dedicated clean generation or storage; form a Data Center Interconnection Working Group within 60 days; convene transmission owners on study and beneficiary-pays methods; and report to PSC within 90 days. The order also leaves open new data-center service classifications. New York Executive Order 62, 2026-07-14
  • Legislative rate-class overlay remains unenacted: A11560/S10642 would require independent electric, gas, and water service classifications for large data centers and assign infrastructure, administrative, and return costs to the data-center class, but the official page still showed “Passed Senate & Assembly” rather than delivery or signature as of July 17. NY State Senate A11560 bill page, 2026-06-04
  • Pending cost-allocation bills: S8540A would require separate service classifications for large energy-use facilities and allow DPS financial-surety requirements; S8546 would create a grid-modernization surcharge and fund for qualifying data-center load and prohibit passing those surcharge costs to other customer classes. NY State Senate S8540A bill page, 2026-05-29 NY State Senate S8546 bill page, 2026-01-07
  • One-house host-benefit bill: A9297A passed the Assembly May 18 while S10546 remained in Senate committee. The proposal would require new data centers and expansions adding at least 20 MW to fund host-community residential bill credits or installations of heat pumps, rooftop solar, or behind-the-meter batteries through a PSC-designed program. NY State Senate A9297A bill page, 2026-05-18 NY State Senate S10546 bill page, 2026-05-20

4) Generation adequacy and resource additions

  • Reliability margins: NYISO’s 2026 Power Trends report states that New York’s electric system is operating with the narrowest reliability margins in recent years, and that electrification plus rapid growth in large energy-intensive projects such as data centers and advanced semiconductor manufacturing is placing additional pressure on the system. NYISO 2026 Power Trends, 2026-06-10
  • Large-load risk profile: NYISO’s 2026 Power Trends report says potential demand from large loads, including data centers, is rising and difficult to forecast because of uncertainty around construction timelines, permitting, and state policy; the report also notes that many data centers may have limited operational flexibility to reduce load during system stress. NYISO 2026 Power Trends, 2026-06-10
  • Cost pressure risk: NYISO warns that if large-load interconnection, utility upgrades, and supply additions are not aligned, the system may rely more on expensive resources and emergency actions, placing upward pressure on statewide electricity costs. NYISO 2026 Power Trends, 2026-06-10
  • 2024 RNA remains relevant background: The 2024 NYISO Reliability Needs Assessment identified a New York City reliability need starting in summer 2033 and described declining statewide margins influenced by load growth, retirements, and resource-transition uncertainty. NYISO 2024 RNA report, 2024-11 NYISO RNA press release, 2024-11-19
  • Energy storage policy: PSC’s June 2024 order expanded New York’s statewide energy-storage deployment goal to 6 GW by 2030, which remains a material reliability and peak-management policy backdrop for data-center load growth. NYSERDA/PSC storage order, 2024-06-20
  • Proposed data-center carbon/storage requirement did not advance: S8645 would require data centers of at least 1 MW to submit CLCPA-consistent carbon-reduction plans and authorize ORES review of associated battery storage when the plan includes renewable or zero-emission supply, but it remained in Senate Energy and Telecommunications. NY State Senate S8645 bill page, 2026-01-07

5) Utility load forecasts and IRP/long-range planning

  • Gold Book planning treatment: The 2026 Gold Book baseline forecasts explicitly include projected load increases from new and expanding large-load projects, along with energy efficiency, behind-the-meter storage and solar, EVs, and building electrification. NYISO 2026 Gold Book, 2026-04
  • Large-load range: NYISO’s 2026 Gold Book reports maximum large-load demand of 1,221 MW in the lower forecast, 2,937 MW in the baseline forecast, 4,393 MW in the higher forecast, and 12,663 MW for all listed/forecast large loads. NYISO 2026 Gold Book, 2026-04
  • Planning architecture: New York does not publish a single statewide utility IRP in the traditional vertically integrated utility sense; NYISO reliability/economic planning, PSC proceedings, utility rate cases, and utility long-range plans collectively serve the planning function for data-center-driven load. NYISO planning portal, current as of 2026-06-10 NY Department of Public Service, current as of 2026-06-10
  • Utility-specific forecasts: Utility-specific public filings quantifying data-center-driven load growth remain fragmented; PSC Case 26-E-0045 is the central statewide venue identified in this update for large-load interconnection, cost allocation, and tariff treatment. NY DPS Case 26-E-0045 docket, 2026-02-12

6) Behind-the-meter, co-location, and direct procurement

  • Behind-the-meter impacts in forecasts: NYISO’s 2026 Gold Book states that baseline forecasts include load-modifying resources such as behind-the-meter storage and solar, and that behind-the-meter storage resources are deducted from baseline peak forecasts. NYISO 2026 Gold Book, 2026-04
  • Flexible large-load assumptions: NYISO’s 2026 Gold Book identifies 360 MW of flexible large load in 2026 and 675 MW from 2027 onward in the baseline table, while cautioning that flexible-load MW may overlap with SCR or DER values. NYISO 2026 Gold Book, 2026-04
  • Direct power/incentive posture for STREAM: GCEDC’s Stream cost-benefit analysis says Stream would not apply for a hydropower allocation or National Grid discounted-rate programs and would invest $268 million to complete electrical infrastructure at STAMP. GCEDC/MRB cost-benefit analysis, 2026-03-12
  • Co-location/FERC arrangements: No New York-specific FERC order approving an individual generator/data-center co-location arrangement was identified through July 17. FERC’s June 18 NYISO show-cause order is instead a systemwide tariff inquiry that expressly requires NYISO to address large loads seeking service from co-located or behind-the-meter generation. FERC, 2026-06-18 FERC NYISO Docket EL26-69-000, 2026-06-18

7) Transmission constraints and upgrades

  • Key bottlenecks: FERC continues to identify chronic transmission constraints in southeastern New York into New York City and Long Island, a siting and deliverability constraint for downstate data-center load. FERC NYISO market overview, current as of 2026-06-10
  • Load interconnection and transmission planning: NYISO’s February 2026 load-interconnection reform presentation proposes evaluating more complex and compounding reliability and broader transmission impacts of load interconnections, identifying necessary system upgrades, and defining milestones for inclusion in reliability planning and Short-Term Assessments of Reliability. NYISO, 2026-02-03
  • State study and beneficiary-pays review: Executive Order 62 directs DPS to convene New York transmission owners to examine whether current large-load system-impact study methods adequately estimate and manage network-upgrade and supply costs, then report to PSC within 90 days. This review had been ordered but not completed by July 17. New York Executive Order 62, 2026-07-14
  • Transmission/resource timing risk: NYISO’s 2026 Power Trends report states that large loads can develop faster than generation or transmission investments needed to support them, increasing the importance of coordination among developers, utilities, regulators, and NYISO. NYISO 2026 Power Trends, 2026-06-10
  • CHPE background: The 2024 RNA notes that Champlain Hudson Power Express is scheduled to improve margins in the mid/late 2020s, illustrating the importance of transmission-led reliability improvements as load growth continues. NYISO 2024 RNA report, 2024-11

Notes / Gaps

  • NYISO does not publish a queue-wide average interconnection wait-time metric for large loads in the reviewed public sources; project-specific timing still requires queue, utility, and developer records.
  • PSC Case 26-E-0045 had not produced a final statewide data-center tariff or rate class by July 17, 2026. Near-term milestones are formation of the Executive Order 62 working group by September 12, the transmission-owner report by October 12, a technical conference by December 31, 2026, and the DPS white paper by February 12, 2027. New York Executive Order 62, 2026-07-14 NY PSC instituting order, 2026-02-12
  • Utility-specific load-forecast impacts are still best tracked through PSC rate cases and individual utility planning filings, while NYISO’s Gold Book provides the statewide forecast treatment.