U.S. generator interconnection—the process by which new generation and storage resources secure the right and technical pathway to connect to the bulk-power transmission system—has become a central bottleneck for resource adequacy, decarbonization, and system affordability. Interconnection queues have grown to historically unprecedented scale, while completion rates remain low and timelines have lengthened materially over the last two decades. A national compilation of queue records through the end of 2024 finds roughly 10,300 active projects (about 1,400 GW of generation and 890 GW of storage) seeking transmission interconnection, with only a small share of earlier-queued capacity ultimately reaching commercial operation (Rand et al., 2025). The evidence base suggests that interconnection inefficiency is not merely administrative; it is a systemic outcome of (a) transmission scarcity and upgrade needs, (b) high and uncertain network upgrade costs, (c) speculative or low-readiness queue entry, and (d) iterative "restudy" dynamics when projects withdraw or materially change configuration. A peer-reviewed study in Joule reports that the time required to secure a connection has increased substantially over the last decade (reported as ~70% in that study's national analysis), while withdrawal rates remain very high (reported near ~80%), particularly when large transmission upgrades are assigned to a project (Gorman et al., 2025). Within this context, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's interconnection policies have evolved in identifiable "waves" aligned to changing market conditions. Early landmark rules standardized procedures and agreements to reduce discrimination and transaction costs (FERC Order Nos. 2003 and 2006). Later reforms focused on transparency and incremental process improvement (e.g., Order No. 845 and its rehearing order 845-A), including study-metric reporting that made delays visible and measurable (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission FERC, 2018, 2019).
Samuel et al. (Sat,) studied this question.