Data centers and new power in California
84.6 GW of new power is waiting to connect to the grid in California — 307 requests across 42 counties. That is the 2nd largest amount of any state. 241 projects are built, 1,711 withdrawn. Data as of 14 October 2026.
What is happening with electricity in California
Every new power plant, battery or big customer has to join a waiting list before it can plug into the grid. This is what that list looks like in California right now.
Where every request ever filed here ended up
Most requests in the US are withdrawn — a developer tests a site and moves on. That is normal, not a warning sign for California.
What kind of power is asking to connect
By capacity requested. Data as of 14 October 2026.
All the numbers
2,262 requests ever filed
Source: the interconnection queues of every transmission provider operating in California. Parsed and normalised by Watt Street. Data as of 14 October 2026. A queued project is a request, not a commitment.
Waiting to connect, by type of power
| Type | Projects | Capacity requested |
|---|---|---|
| Solar + battery | 123 | 33.2 GW |
| Batteries | 107 | 27.4 GW |
| Solar | 51 | 17.6 GW |
| Wind | 10 | 3.4 GW |
| Other | 5 | 2.1 GW |
| Geothermal | 5 | 450 MW |
| Hydrogen | 1 | 346 MW |
| Natural gas | 3 | 90 MW |
| Hydro | 2 | 5 MW |
Who runs the waiting list in California
Counties in California
42 with power on the waiting list
Every county with at least five requests on file. Open one to check an address, or see the schools near any mapped data center.
| County | Waiting | Capacity queued | Already built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County | 32 | 14.7 GW | 1.5 GW |
| Kern County | 51 | 13.8 GW | 7.0 GW |
| Riverside County | 22 | 7.8 GW | 7.1 GW |
| San Bernardino County | 19 | 7.3 GW | 1.9 GW |
| Fresno County | 28 | 6.5 GW | 1.6 GW |
| Imperial County | 34 | 6.4 GW | 1.3 GW |
| Sacramento County | 16 | 3.6 GW | 0 MW |
| Kings County | 8 | 2.5 GW | 1.5 GW |
| Merced County | 10 | 2.5 GW | 121 MW |
| Monterey County | 3 | 2.4 GW | 1.2 GW |
| San Joaquin County | 9 | 2.1 GW | 526 MW |
| Ventura County | 4 | 1.9 GW | 0 MW |
| Contra Costa County | 5 | 1.6 GW | 1.0 GW |
| San Diego County | 8 | 1.5 GW | 3.5 GW |
| Solano County | 7 | 1.4 GW | 628 MW |
| Alameda County | 9 | 1.3 GW | 1.3 GW |
| Tulare County | 5 | 1.2 GW | 500 MW |
| San Luis Obispo County | 2 | 1.0 GW | 982 MW |
| Inyo County | 2 | 750 MW | 0 MW |
| Lassen County | 2 | 550 MW | 0 MW |
| Santa Clara County | 5 | 473 MW | 75 MW |
| Stanislaus County | 3 | 420 MW | 360 MW |
| Butte County | 2 | 400 MW | 4 MW |
| Orange County | 2 | 400 MW | 0 MW |
| San Francisco County | 1 | 250 MW | 20 MW |
Key dates for projects here
1 dated · next closes 2026-10-15 (CAISO)
| Queue | What closes | Closes | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAISO | CAISO Cluster 16 interconnection request window Interconnection requests submitted through the GRIP portal. | 2026-10-15 | confirmed source |
| FERC | FERC large-load show cause — stakeholder comments on RTO responses Comments on the six RTO/ISO responses to the FPA section 206 show-cause orders of 18 June 2026 (PJM EL26-67, SPP EL26-68, NYISO EL26-69, MISO EL26-70… | No date published yet | unconfirmed source |
| FERC | FERC RM26-4 — generic large-load rulemaking Still at ANOPR stage. | No date published yet | confirmed source |
| FERC | Georgia PSC - Georgia Power must file large-load contracts 30 days before execution A standing obligation rather than a dated one: large-load contracts must be filed with the commission at least 30 days before they are executed. | No date published yet | confirmed source |
A date marked confirmed was checked by a person against the authority's own tariff, order or form page. Anything else is listed so you know it exists, with a link so you can check it yourself. Full calendar.
Big new power users asking to connect
3 requests · 17 MW
Requests to connect large new customers — data centers, factories, electrification — rather than power plants.
| Request | Capacity | County | Status | Queue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canby Substation | 10 MW | Modoc County | withdrawn | BPA |
| Knights Bridge Substation | 7 MW | Modoc County | active | BPA |
| Industrial Load | — | Modoc County | withdrawn | BPA |
Live in California?
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