US federal regulator moves to shorten grid-connection times for data centers

The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has given the country's major grid operators (PJM, MISO, CAISO, NYISO and others) 60 days to come up with acceptable procedures for connecting data centers to the grid. If they fail to deliver, FERC will step in and rule in their place. Connecting a data center in the United States currently takes four years on average. Whether FERC has the legal authority to override grid operators on connection matters remains an open question.