Large Loads
Sam Morris is the Manager of Load Forecasting & Analysis for ERCOT. Before joining ERCOT, he worked in load forecasting for NYISO, Enva Power and Dominion Energy. He started his career as a Meteorologist with the United States Air Force.
Large electrical loads, such as data centers, hydrogen production facilities, and EV fleet charging centers, present significant challenges for the electric power industry. Utility planners face difficulties in forecasting demand, transmission planners struggle to build infrastructure at the required pace, and system operators must address grid stability risks caused by large loads disconnecting during faults. Meanwhile, large load developers grapple with slow and complex interconnection processes, stringent reliability requirements, and limited access to wholesale markets and real-time pricing.
To address these challenges, the Energy Systems Integration Group launched a Large Loads Task Force (LLTF) to convene stakeholders, identify practical solutions, and develop harmonized practices that ensure reliable and efficient grid integration while supporting industry growth.
The Large Loads Task Force is made up of seven specialized project teams (see statement of work):
- Load forecasting (led by John D. Wilson, Grid Strategies)
See the report: Forecasting for Large Loads: Current Practices and Recommendations - Interconnection performance requirements (led by Ahmed Rashwan, Electric Power Engineers)
See the reports:- Large Load Performance Requirements: Current Practices and Recommendations
- Large Loads: Behaviors, Capabilities, and Limitations (coming soon)
- Large Load Disturbance Events
- Reliability Impacts of Large, Power Electronics–Interfaced Loads (coming soon)
- Dynamic modeling (led by Parag Mitra, EPRI).
See the report: Large Load Modeling for Dynamic Studies: Current Practices and Recommendations - Interconnection process (led by Kyle Thomas, Elevate Consulting)
Report coming soon: Interconnection Processes for Large Loads: Current Practices and Recommendations - Resource adequacy (led by Derek Stenclik and Aaron Schwartz, Telos Energy)
See the report: Resource Adequacy with Large Loads: Planning for Flexibility to Accelerate Integration - Transmission planning (led by Hannes Pfeifenberger, The Brattle Group, and Warren Lasher, Lasher Energy)
Report coming soon: Transmission Planning with Large Loads: Current Practices and Recommendations - Markets and operations (led by Erik Ela, ESIG)
Report coming soon: Wholesale Market Design and Operations for Systems with Large Loads: Current Practices and Recommendations
Additional Reading
Lam, L., R. Hledik, and N. Northrup. 2026. “Impacts of Large Loads on Electricity Rates: A Primer.” Energy Systems Integration Group. https://www.esig.energy/reports-briefs/rate-impacts-of-large-loads-primer
Mai, T., D. Lew, A. Silverstein, E. Ela, J. Matevosyan, J. Okullo, A. Shattuck, and N. Frick. 2026. “Historical and Modern Large Loads: Characteristics, Context, and Industry Actions to Meet Grid and Customer Needs.” White paper. Energy Systems Integration Group. https://www.esig.energy/reports-briefs/historical-and-modern-large-loads
Active Projects
-
Members Only Interconnection Performance Requirements
VIEW WORK: Interconnection Performance RequirementsLarge Loads Task Force: Interconnection Performance Requirements Project Team Tasks and Scope of Work Interconnection performance requirements usually refer to technical minimum specifications for grid users (generation, load, transmission assets) that are needed to maintain reliable operation of the bulk power system. *** The requirements for new technologies normally start from a “do no harm”…
-
Members Only Interconnection Process
VIEW WORK: Interconnection ProcessLarge Loads Task Force: Interconnection Process Project Team Tasks and Scope of Work Interconnection Process – coordinate with all other project teams. Coordinate the project team to gather industry best practices, insights, opinions, perspectives, and input on large load interconnection processes. *** Produce a collective vision with the project team of an ideal large load…
-
Members Only Market and Operations Aspects
VIEW WORK: Market and Operations AspectsLarge Loads Task Force: Market and Operations Aspects Project Team Tasks and Scope of Work This task addresses various market issues for large loads including co-location of generation and load, wholesale market participation models, and demand response. *** Major issues of scope: To respect the valuable time of common task force members, this project team…
-
Members Only Modeling Requirements for Interconnection
VIEW WORK: Modeling Requirements for InterconnectionLarge Loads Task Force: Modeling Requirements for Interconnection Project Team Tasks and Scope of Work Modeling requirements for interconnection is a related topic and usually is a part of interconnection requirements to study the impacts that new and existing grid users have on the grid. *** These simulations are used by transmission owners/operators/planners. The simulation…
-
Members Only Overview: Large Loads Task Force
VIEW WORK: Overview: Large Loads Task ForceLarge electrical loads, such as data centers, hydrogen production facilities, and EV fleet charging centers, present significant challenges for the electric power industry. Utility planners face difficulties in forecasting demand, transmission planners struggle to build infrastructure at the required pace, and system operators must address grid stability risks caused by large loads disconnecting during faults.…
-
Members Only Resource Adequacy Aspects
VIEW WORK: Resource Adequacy AspectsLarge Loads Task Force: Resource Adequacy Aspects Project Team Tasks and Scope of Work The Resource Adequacy (RA)project team will address the evolving challenges associated with integrating large loads into the power system, evaluating how these loads impact system reliability and determining the required flexibility to maintain resource adequacy standards. *** Leveraging the expertise of…
-
Members Only Transmission Planning
VIEW WORK: Transmission PlanningLarge Loads Task Force: Transmission Planning Project Team Tasks and Scopes of Work Transmission planning is critical in facilitating the integration of large loads, the necessary generating resources, and managing their impacts on the grid. However, our current transmission planning processes are suboptimal and fail to provide for the infrastructure solutions that would allow for…
-
Members Only Workshops & Webinars
VIEW WORK: Workshops & WebinarsView recordings of past workshops and webinars put on by various project teams under the Large Loads Task Force. LLTF Webinar: NextEra Transmission Perspective on Large Load Interconnections | November 5, 2025 Featured Speakers: Nihal Mohan, Director Development, NextEra Energy Transmission and Sunil Dhakal, P.E., Project Director Development, NextEra Energy Transmission Large Loads Workshop | October…
See Large Loads Resources
View reports and other completed work from this working group.
Accelerating Change
Thank you to our sustaining members
