Interconnection queue

The backlog of generation and load projects waiting for a grid operator to study and approve their connection. In most US markets the queue runs to multiple years, which is what makes behind-the-meter siting and stranded power attractive to compute developers who need capacity sooner than that.

Queues are also where projects die. A large share of requests withdraw before they reach an agreement, and smaller loads increasingly receive faster treatment than the large ones data centers need.