{"market_id":"ercot-west","generated_at":"June 2026","schema_version":"1.0","claim_count":7,"claims":[{"claim_id":"pgiq:claim:ercot-west:pgiq_tier:june-2026","claim_type":"opinion","status":"active","subject":{"market_id":"ercot-west","geography_id":"pgiq:geo:ercot-west"},"predicate":"pgiq_tier","value":{"base":2,"label":"Strong"},"unit":null,"definition":"PGIQ tier for siting a large new electricity load; a directional screen, not a connection guarantee","project_archetype":null,"as_of":"June 2026","valid_for":{"start":"June 2026","end":null},"method":"expert_judgment","method_source_label":null,"confidence":{"source_quality":"n/a (opinion)","coverage":"all rated markets","model_uncertainty":"n/a","opinion_confidence":"Med-High"},"sources":[{"publisher":"PGIQ methodology","title":"PGIQ methodology","url":"https://powergridiq.com/methodology","published_at":null,"retrieved_at":"June 2026","locator":"tier definitions","quote_or_field":null,"license":"public source, cited under fair use","redistribution_rights":"link and quote with attribution; no bulk redistribution"}],"transform":null,"contradictions":[],"supersedes":null,"note":"The cheapest large-load power in the United States, but the grid cannot always export it. West Texas and the Panhandle carry a wind and solar surplus that congests the local network, so the zone rewards a flexible or co-located load that can absorb curtailed power, rather than a firm 24/7 site that needs uninterrupted delivery.","schema_version":"1.0","methodology_version":"pgiq-rating-v2","definition_version":"carbon_scope@1.0;connection_process@1.0;cost_archetype@1.0;evidence_tiers@1.0;reliability_layers@1.0","content_hash":"sha256:0af760038c113855ee28d77384b0b8aa7282b710947638e978bac681ccff2690"},{"claim_id":"pgiq:claim:ercot-west:recurring_power_cost:june-2026","claim_type":"estimate","status":"active","subject":{"market_id":"ercot-west","geography_id":"pgiq:geo:ercot-west"},"predicate":"recurring_power_cost","value":{"low":42,"base":55,"high":80},"unit":"USD/MWh","definition":"recurring energy, network, delivery, taxes and levies per MWh; EXCLUDES customer-funded connection capital","project_archetype":"100mw_flat_95pct_lf_transmission_level","as_of":"June 2026","valid_for":{"start":"June 2026","end":null},"method":"triangulated","method_source_label":null,"confidence":{"source_quality":"triangulated","coverage":"2 public fragments","model_uncertainty":"band spans structuring outcomes","opinion_confidence":"n/a"},"sources":[{"publisher":"ERCOT 2024 load-zone prices (Modo Energy)","title":"ERCOT 2024 load-zone prices (Modo Energy)","url":"https://modoenergy.com/research/en/ercot-power-prices-2024-energy-arbitrage-ancillary-services-hub-load-zone-west-north-south-houston-panhandle","published_at":null,"retrieved_at":"June 2026","locator":"page","quote_or_field":null,"license":"public source, cited under fair use","redistribution_rights":"link and quote with attribution; no bulk redistribution"},{"publisher":"ERCOT 2024 curtailment and load-zone prices (Modo Energy)","title":"ERCOT 2024 curtailment and load-zone prices (Modo Energy)","url":"https://modoenergy.com/research/en/ercot-curtailment-crisis-solar-wind-data-battery-colocated-trends-maps-texas","published_at":null,"retrieved_at":"June 2026","locator":"price components","quote_or_field":null,"license":"public source, cited under fair use","redistribution_rights":"link and quote with attribution; no bulk redistribution"}],"transform":{"formula":"sum(components)","model_version":"pgiq-rating-v2","inputs":[{"component":"Wholesale energy","usd_per_mwh":35},{"component":"Transmission & delivery (4CP)","usd_per_mwh":15},{"component":"Ancillary services","usd_per_mwh":5}]},"contradictions":[],"supersedes":null,"note":"West Texas and Panhandle wholesale energy is the cheapest in ERCOT; a flexible or co-located load that absorbs curtailed solar and wind can land below even this. The non-energy cost is transmission (the 4CP mechanism) and ancillary services.","schema_version":"1.0","methodology_version":"pgiq-rating-v2","definition_version":"carbon_scope@1.0;connection_process@1.0;cost_archetype@1.0;evidence_tiers@1.0;reliability_layers@1.0","content_hash":"sha256:04a92ef9205911ea5c612f5683b05433b8e2aae75448be245e9c34efcf3c0e2b"},{"claim_id":"pgiq:claim:ercot-west:connection_wait:june-2026","claim_type":"estimate","status":"active","subject":{"market_id":"ercot-west","geography_id":"pgiq:geo:ercot-west"},"predicate":"connection_wait","value":{"low":12,"base":24,"high":24},"unit":"months","definition":"from a complete application being accepted to full firm energization of the nominated MW, expressed as a band. Initial, phased, temporary and conditional energization are separate, earlier milestones. Derived from the operator process and market evidence rather than a measured project cohort.","project_archetype":null,"as_of":"June 2026","valid_for":{"start":"June 2026","end":null},"method":"modelled","method_source_label":"proxy","confidence":{"source_quality":"Med","coverage":"band, not a measured cohort","model_uncertainty":"stage durations overlap and vary by project","opinion_confidence":"n/a"},"sources":[{"publisher":"ERCOT interconnection process","title":"ERCOT interconnection process","url":"https://www.ercot.com/gridinfo/resource","published_at":null,"retrieved_at":"June 2026","locator":"process stages","quote_or_field":null,"license":"public source, cited under fair use","redistribution_rights":"link and quote with attribution; no bulk redistribution"}],"transform":{"formula":"sum(stage_durations)","model_version":"pgiq-rating-v2","inputs":[{"stage":"Application & screening","months":6},{"stage":"Interconnection study & agreement","months":6},{"stage":"Construction & energization","months":12}]},"contradictions":[],"supersedes":null,"note":"The same fast connect-and-manage path, but West Texas export congestion can cap deliverability of the cheap local power.","schema_version":"1.0","methodology_version":"pgiq-rating-v2","definition_version":"carbon_scope@1.0;connection_process@1.0;cost_archetype@1.0;evidence_tiers@1.0;reliability_layers@1.0","content_hash":"sha256:257a5c7ecb533620556a838fdb2e06023074a201370118227900cdc862e045c3"},{"claim_id":"pgiq:claim:ercot-west:load_queue_depth:june-2026","claim_type":"fact","status":"active","subject":{"market_id":"ercot-west","geography_id":"pgiq:geo:ercot-west"},"predicate":"load_queue_depth","value":{"base":445,"data_centre_share_pct":77},"unit":"GW","definition":"capacity in the operator's LARGE-LOAD (demand) interconnection queue: loads waiting to draw power, not generation waiting to connect. A request pipeline, not approved load. ERCOT-wide, not specific to this zone","project_archetype":null,"as_of":"June 2026","valid_for":{"start":"June 2026","end":null},"method":"reported","method_source_label":null,"confidence":{"source_quality":"operator or reported figure","coverage":"as of April 2026","model_uncertainty":"request pipeline, attrition not netted","opinion_confidence":"n/a"},"sources":[{"publisher":"ERCOT large-load queue nearly quadrupled, Latitude Media (Dec 2025)","title":"ERCOT large-load queue nearly quadrupled, Latitude Media (Dec 2025)","url":"https://www.latitudemedia.com/news/ercots-large-load-queue-has-nearly-quadrupled-in-a-single-year/","published_at":"April 2026","retrieved_at":"June 2026","locator":"queue figure","quote_or_field":null,"license":"public source, cited under fair use","redistribution_rights":"link and quote with attribution; no bulk redistribution"}],"transform":null,"contradictions":[],"supersedes":null,"note":"ERCOT was managing requests for roughly 445 GW of prospective new load by 2033 as of April 2026, up from about 226 GW in November 2025, roughly 77% data centres. Reported ERCOT-wide; ERCOT does not publish a zonal split.","schema_version":"1.0","methodology_version":"pgiq-rating-v2","definition_version":"carbon_scope@1.0;connection_process@1.0;cost_archetype@1.0;evidence_tiers@1.0;reliability_layers@1.0","content_hash":"sha256:68a02bb1198ac00249d73d00d2651f11e2476ef56e1ec834d851f570a9197453"},{"claim_id":"pgiq:claim:ercot-west:forward_adequacy:june-2026","claim_type":"estimate","status":"active","subject":{"market_id":"ercot-west","geography_id":"pgiq:geo:ercot-west"},"predicate":"forward_adequacy","value":{"base":"elevated","label":"Tight"},"unit":null,"definition":"forward firm-supply adequacy for a prospective large new load; level vocabulary none|watch|elevated|severe","project_archetype":null,"as_of":"June 2026","valid_for":{"start":"June 2026","end":null},"method":"forward","method_source_label":"assessed","confidence":{"source_quality":"modelled read","coverage":"market-level","model_uncertainty":"not site-specific","opinion_confidence":"n/a"},"sources":[{"publisher":"NERC 2024 Long-Term Reliability Assessment","title":"NERC 2024 Long-Term Reliability Assessment","url":"https://www.nerc.com/globalassets/our-work/assessments/2024-ltra_corrected_july_2025.pdf","published_at":null,"retrieved_at":"June 2026","locator":"page","quote_or_field":null,"license":"public source, cited under fair use","redistribution_rights":"link and quote with attribution; no bulk redistribution"}],"transform":null,"contradictions":[],"supersedes":null,"note":"NERC's 2024 Long-Term Reliability Assessment rates ERCOT elevated-risk grid-wide: about 20 GW of new large loads plus a more variable resource mix raise the risk of long-term shortfalls across the interconnection.","schema_version":"1.0","methodology_version":"pgiq-rating-v2","definition_version":"carbon_scope@1.0;connection_process@1.0;cost_archetype@1.0;evidence_tiers@1.0;reliability_layers@1.0","content_hash":"sha256:dad2107e56685e1ac56914ff5c6e3187e86de80bf08769fba5e7a2994fccc761"},{"claim_id":"pgiq:claim:ercot-west:local_capacity_route:june-2026","claim_type":"fact","status":"active","subject":{"market_id":"ercot-west","geography_id":"pgiq:geo:ercot-west"},"predicate":"local_capacity_route","value":{"base":"ERCOT Large Load Interconnection Study (LLIS), run by your transmission service provider"},"unit":null,"definition":"the defined process by which a site-specific local capacity answer can be obtained where the operator publishes no capacity map. This is a route to evidence, NOT evidence of capacity, and does not satisfy the local deliverability gate.","project_archetype":null,"as_of":"June 2026","valid_for":{"start":"June 2026","end":null},"method":"reported","method_source_label":null,"confidence":{"source_quality":"operator process documentation","coverage":"market-level process","model_uncertainty":"no capacity figure is implied","opinion_confidence":"n/a"},"sources":[{"publisher":"ERCOT large-load interconnection","title":"ERCOT large-load interconnection","url":"https://www.ercot.com/services/rq/integration","published_at":null,"retrieved_at":"June 2026","locator":"interconnection process","quote_or_field":null,"license":"public source, cited under fair use","redistribution_rights":"link and quote with attribution; no bulk redistribution"}],"transform":null,"contradictions":[],"supersedes":null,"note":"ERCOT publishes no substation-level capacity map for large load. Any facility of 75 MW or more must complete an LLIS before energizing, conducted by the transmission service provider. The site-specific answer exists only after application.","schema_version":"1.0","methodology_version":"pgiq-rating-v2","definition_version":"carbon_scope@1.0;connection_process@1.0;cost_archetype@1.0;evidence_tiers@1.0;reliability_layers@1.0","content_hash":"sha256:7b72b7079fb3b4d5ac9f1d31495bfee29db353b8157f3e1d3e159b19d6c2dd0f"},{"claim_id":"pgiq:claim:ercot-west:regulatory_momentum:june-2026","claim_type":"opinion","status":"active","subject":{"market_id":"ercot-west","geography_id":"pgiq:geo:ercot-west"},"predicate":"regulatory_momentum","value":{"base":"favourable","direction":"stable"},"unit":null,"definition":"direction and steadiness of the rules governing large-load connection (stroke-of-pen risk)","project_archetype":null,"as_of":"June 2026","valid_for":{"start":"June 2026","end":null},"method":"expert_judgment","method_source_label":null,"confidence":{"source_quality":"cited dated developments","coverage":"market-level","model_uncertainty":"n/a","opinion_confidence":"Med-High"},"sources":[{"publisher":"PGIQ methodology","title":"PGIQ methodology","url":"https://powergridiq.com/methodology","published_at":null,"retrieved_at":"June 2026","locator":"regulatory momentum","quote_or_field":null,"license":"public source, cited under fair use","redistribution_rights":"link and quote with attribution; no bulk redistribution"}],"transform":null,"contradictions":[],"supersedes":null,"note":"The same open, energy-only connect-and-manage framework as ERCOT statewide; the binding issue in the west is physical export congestion, not regulatory closure. WHAT WOULD CHANGE IT: Large-load interconnection conditions, or a stall in the Permian Basin 765 kV transmission plan.","schema_version":"1.0","methodology_version":"pgiq-rating-v2","definition_version":"carbon_scope@1.0;connection_process@1.0;cost_archetype@1.0;evidence_tiers@1.0;reliability_layers@1.0","content_hash":"sha256:5781e08347587dc9d8fee3d61431f4c418cbc60da76ba82f6b5c5d9f9fa5bb00"}],"gaps":[{"predicate":"delivery_reliability_saidi","requires":"measured regulator outage record","state":"not_assessed","reason":"no regulator outage series compiled for this market yet","blocks_project_case":true},{"predicate":"average_operational_carbon_intensity","requires":"average operational carbon intensity","state":"not_assessed","reason":"no grid snapshot compiled for this market yet","blocks_project_case":false},{"predicate":"local_deliverability","requires":"capacity at the substation you would connect to","state":"not_assessed","reason":"no operator publication of area or substation capacity found for this market","blocks_project_case":true}],"note":"A gap is not evidence that the risk is absent. It means we have not assessed it."}