Hyperscaler campuses are pulling gigawatt-scale interconnection requests into every regional grid. Here's how PJM, ERCOT, and MISO queues have shifted in the last four quarters.
In Short
- PJM — Virginia''s "Data Center Alley" is now formally saturated for near-term energization; new campuses are being routed to West Virginia and Ohio.
- ERCOT — Texas is the fastest-approving grid, but transmission constraints west of the DFW cluster have already forced two 500 MW campuses to delay energization by 18 months.
- MISO — the Northern Zone (Wisconsin, Minnesota) has become the "second choice" region as PJM saturates.
Data center load growth in 2026 has outpaced every projection published in the last three years. Aggregate active interconnection requests for co-located data-center and generation projects crossed 430 GW in Q2, roughly 3.2× the 2023 baseline.
Where the pressure is concentrated
Three ISO/RTO regions are absorbing the majority of the demand:
- PJM — Virginia''s "Data Center Alley" is now formally saturated for near-term energization; new campuses are being routed to West Virginia and Ohio.
- ERCOT — Texas is the fastest-approving grid, but transmission constraints west of the DFW cluster have already forced two 500 MW campuses to delay energization by 18 months.
- MISO — the Northern Zone (Wisconsin, Minnesota) has become the "second choice" region as PJM saturates.
What developers are doing about it
Three tactical responses stand out: (1) behind-the-meter gas generation as a bridge; (2) direct offtake PPAs with new-build solar+BESS; (3) siting new campuses adjacent to existing generation instead of load pockets.
The "grid-first" siting model that dominated the last decade has flipped. In 2026, the generation drives the campus location, not the other way around.
