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ERCOT interconnection

ERCOT coordinates generation interconnection and resource integration with the relevant transmission or distribution service provider.

Guide updated October 9, 2026.

Establish the applicable process​

Start with Planning Guide Section 5, Generator Interconnection or Modification, to determine which process applies to a new resource or a change to an existing facility. Use the current controlled guide rather than an older handbook's section numbering. ERCOT publishes the current sections, including Section 6, Data/Modeling, on its Planning Guide page.

Applications and changes for the applicable generation-interconnection process are managed through Resource Integration and Ongoing Operations — Interconnection Services (RIOO-IS). Identify the Interconnecting Entity, the future Resource Entity, and the relevant service provider early. The Resource Integration page links to access instructions, submission guides, and the interconnection handbook.

Prepare a coherent project record​

Use the current RIOO instructions and selected process to determine the submission fields. Assemble a working record for:

  • Entity names, responsible contacts, project identifiers, and service-provider interface.
  • Resource technology, facility configuration, location, POI, and requested dates.
  • Generation ratings and, for storage, charging and discharging limits and energy capacity.
  • Shared or self-limiting arrangements, co-located loads, and relevant operating assumptions.
  • Drawings, equipment information, supporting site evidence, and study inputs.
  • Application status, requests for information, financial actions, and response records.

A single project data register makes revisions easier to review. Include units and the measurement location for every rating, and identify whether a value is manufacturer data, a calculated result, or an assumption awaiting confirmation. Do not use an assumed export limit to conceal equipment capability that the study team needs to understand.

Coordinate studies and model submissions​

The current Planning Guide identifies the study process and modeling obligations. ERCOT also publishes a Model Quality Guide, model-related forms, and resource-registration material through its Resource Integration page. Use those resources to confirm required formats, software compatibility, test evidence, and delivery milestones. Model and integration resources

For preparation, organize the one-line diagram, transformer and collector data, positive-sequence models, applicable EMT models, and plant-control documentation around the same equipment revision. Record the supplier contact and model dependencies so that reviewers can reproduce the intended setup.

Treat initial application, study completion, planning-model inclusion, registration, and commissioning as separate milestones. Each can require additional information. Preserve the submitted configuration and track later equipment or control changes through the appropriate update process. ERCOT's current Planning Guide is the reference for those stage-specific requirements.

Manage site evidence and agreements​

Coordinate site and interconnection-facility requirements with the service provider and the applicable provisions of the current guide. For internal preparation, map the generating site, proposed route, and POI to the supporting documents; record unresolved access or route issues explicitly.

Confirm fees against ERCOT's current fee schedule and separately track provider study funding and agreement obligations. The Resource Integration page also distinguishes the current Standard Generation Interconnection Agreement from the older form retained for specified existing agreements. Select the correct form for the project circumstances. Agreement resources

Review before the next milestone​

Recommended coordination checks include:

  1. Verify that RIOO, drawings, models, and registration data describe the same facility.
  2. Reconcile gross generation, net export, auxiliary load, charging demand, and any shared limit.
  3. Identify incomplete supplier data and the person responsible for obtaining it.
  4. Track each study or model request through response and acknowledgement.
  5. Keep commissioning assumptions aligned with the configuration studied and submitted.

For regional context, ERCOT's Planning page provides current planning information. Regional planning material should not be treated as project-specific interconnection approval.

Official sources and scope​

Use Resource Integration, the current Planning Guide, and ERCOT Planning as the starting references.

This guide supports preparation and navigation. The current ERCOT rules, applicable process instructions, and project-specific service-provider requirements control. A completed checklist does not establish application acceptance or compliance.