Graded Light and steady on how it connects a new large load. 10 states, 6 actions with sources, reviewed 10 October 2026.
Terms are set utility by utility; Bonneville's transmission queue redesign is pending and its 2001 policy only reprices loads above 10 average megawatts.
Bonneville's New Large Single Load policy (in force since 2001) prices any load adding 10 average megawatts at the higher new-resource rate, not federal hydro.
No curtailment or capacity-matching obligation for large loads is in force in the region.
Co-location is not addressed regionally; each state and utility decides.
The draft Ninth Northwest Power Plan (Aug 13, 2026) says the region needs 11 GW of new generation by 2032; Bonneville's transmission queue is in redesign.
Scored on rules in force, 1 to 5. 5 is the most regulated. Pending rules set the arrow.
BPA executive interview, June 2025: 24 GW of load requests against 11-12 GW of BPA load; no 2026 BPA tally found (queue reform due late 2026-2027); 65 GW of BPA transmission service requests cited Sep 2025. E3 (Apr 2026): Pacific Northwest builds about 3 GW of data center load by 2030, with a 9 GW regional capacity gap by 2030 and up to 18 GW by 2035 newprojectmedia.com Pace: Not found. BPA FY2025 annual report and NW Council Jan 2026 panel give no MW served; Oregon PUC 2026 POWER Act report says IOU data center load grew ~36%/yr since 2021 (no MW); APS (Q2 2026) reports 4.5 GW committed and C&I sales +12.7%, no MW energized.
Outside California the West has no single grid operator, so large-load terms are set utility by utility and state by state. Bonneville Power Administration's long-standing rule prices any load that grows by 10 average megawatts in a year at its higher new-resource rate, and its transmission queue is being redesigned after requests far outran the system. Two day-ahead markets are splitting the region: CAISO's began on 1 May 2026 with PacifiCorp, and SPP's is targeted for October 2027 with Bonneville and the Arizona utilities.
Portland General Electric was due to join CAISO's day-ahead market in October 2026, with more utilities in 2027 and 2028. SPP's Markets+ is targeted for October 2027. Federal emergency orders keeping Centralia and Craig coal units available run to December 2026 and are under court challenge.
The West outside California is graded Light and steady on how it connects a new large load: Two day-ahead markets forming; Bonneville's cheap hydro closed to big loads Outside California the West has no single grid operator, so large-load terms are set utility by utility and state by state. Bonneville Power Administration's long-standing rule prices any load that grows by 10 average megawatts in a year at its higher new-resource rate, and its transmission queue is being redesigned after requests far outran the system. Two day-ahead markets are splitting the region: CAISO's began on 1 May 2026 with PacifiCorp, and SPP's is targeted for October 2027 with Bonneville and the Arizona utilities.
24.0 GW of large-load interconnection requests as of Jun 2025. BPA executive interview, June 2025: 24 GW of load requests against 11-12 GW of BPA load; no 2026 BPA tally found (queue reform due late 2026-2027); 65 GW of BPA transmission service requests cited Sep 2025.
Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Each state page gives that state's own laws, incentives and local actions, which sit under the grid's connection rules.
9 of 10: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington.
Portland General Electric was due to join CAISO's day-ahead market in October 2026, with more utilities in 2027 and 2028. SPP's Markets+ is targeted for October 2027. Federal emergency orders keeping Centralia and Craig coal units available run to December 2026 and are under court challenge.
6 items: each is a law, order, tariff, ruling, utility action or local decision that changes what a data center must do, pay or disclose, or where it may be built. Failed and pending measures are marked. Each links to its source.
Orders renewed in September 2026 keep Centralia Unit 2 in Washington (about 730 MW) available to 11 December and Craig Unit 1 in Colorado (about 446 MW) to 25 December 2026. Washington's attorney general asked the Ninth Circuit on 2 March 2026 to vacate the Centralia order; no court ruling was found.
Source: powermag.comBonneville is rewriting how it plans transmission upgrades and grants interconnection and long-term service. A July 2026 law firm review expects it to borrow from the processes FERC is requiring of the grid operators. No final Bonneville decision was found.
Source: bdlaw.comWent live on 1 May 2026 with PacifiCorp's two balancing areas. Portland General Electric was scheduled for October 2026; the Balancing Authority of Northern California, Los Angeles, Public Service Company of New Mexico and Turlock in 2027; and NV Energy and Imperial Irrigation District in 2028.
Source: reglobal.orgSPP's competing day-ahead market is targeted to start in October 2027. Funding participants include Bonneville, Arizona Public Service, Salt River Project, Tucson Electric Power, Puget Sound Energy, Powerex, Tri-State and Public Service Company of Colorado.
Source: reglobal.orgAs of mid-2025 Bonneville reported about 24 GW of load requests, roughly 18 GW of it data centers, against a system load of 11 to 12 GW. It paused its long-term transmission queue earlier in 2025 to redesign planning and entry requirements.
Source: newprojectmedia.comUnder the Northwest Power Act, a new or expanded load that adds 10 average megawatts or more within 12 months at a public utility cannot be served at Bonneville's priority firm rate and is priced at the higher new-resource rate. A large data center at a public utility district therefore does not get the low-cost federal hydro rate.
Source: bpa.govNeed the capacity sooner than the queue allows? Every unit in the register is held by Genloop, restored and re-warrantied, and can move on your timeline.
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