Enverus releases 2026 Interconnection Queue Outlook

Insights for developers and investors to navigate interconnection risk and accelerate portfolio and project success

AUSTIN, Texas (Feb. 24, 2026) Enverus, the leading energy SaaS and analytics platform, has released its 2026 Interconnection Queue Outlook. The report delivers a comprehensive view of power generation and transmission projects seeking connection to the U.S. power grid.

Interconnection queues remain one of the most significant barriers to bringing new power generation online. As utilities and grid operators balance grid reliability, load growth and energy policy mandates, market participants face increasing uncertainty around interconnection study timelines, network upgrade requirements and project viability. The 2026 Interconnection Queue Outlook is designed to help users cut through that complexity by connecting queue risk with market structure and utility behavior across major U.S. power markets.

Leveraging Enverus’ proprietary machine learning technology, the outlook evaluates queued power generation and transmission projects while incorporating ISO market rules, utility planning approaches and policy considerations that influence interconnection outcomes. This combined view enables users to better identify where projects are more likely to face delays, suspensions or cost escalation, and where grid access opportunities remain more favorable.

“Developers need more than a snapshot of the queue. They need to understand the market forces shaping interconnection outcomes,” said Ryan Luther, director, Enverus Intelligence® Research. “By integrating ISO dynamics into our interconnection analysis, we are giving customers a more complete picture of where projects face the greatest friction and where opportunities still exist.”

“Interconnection is no longer a standalone technical process. It is deeply influenced by regional market design and utility decision-making,” Luther added. “The 2026 Interconnection Queue Outlook helps our customers understand not just where projects sit in the queue, but how ISO dynamics and market conditions are shaping the path forward.”

By examining interconnection activity alongside ISO-level market trends, the 2026 outlook provides critical context for developers prioritizing portfolios, investors assessing grid risk and policymakers evaluating grid readiness as demand for new power generation continues to grow.

Customers like Alexandria Walling, vice president of development at Inovateus Solar, have been openly supportive of Enverus’ work in the power and renewables space. “In our industry, the easy projects are few and far between. We’re really trying to eliminate as much uncertainty as we can on the front end. The things that used to take us six months to one year to build – those target areas and maps – and then verify them, we can now do in hours, which allows our team to focus more on permitting efforts and researching ordinances. Enverus is an invaluable resource and having a dedicated team to help us fully utilize those resources has been immeasurable.”

Key Takeaways

Interconnection outcomes increasingly depend on regional ISO market structure and utility planning practices, not just queue position, creating materially different grid access risk profiles across U.S. power markets.
Grid congestion and interconnection study delays persist despite reform efforts, reinforcing interconnection as a primary gating factor for new generation and transmission projects moving toward construction.
Utility strategies and load planning assumptions are reshaping interconnection timelines, as grid operators balance reliability, electrification and evolving energy policy requirements.
Project risk diverges sharply by region, underscoring the importance of understanding ISO specific rules, study processes and market dynamics when prioritizing development pipelines.
Developers and investors face growing pressure to assess interconnection risk earlier, as late-stage delays and cost escalation continue to challenge project economics.
Several regions have deployed our SUGAR software to automate interconnection study processes, achieving significant time savings and laying the foundation for automation at other transmission providers.