Study: Extended Interconnection Queue Times Plague Wind, Solar

In a report likely to be used by interests on all sides of the U.S. power grid picture, big energy data and analytics firm Enverus says developers of wind, solar, and stationary battery projects can expect queue times of 4 to 9 years before they can be interconnected into the various regional power grids. The waiting period for interconnection depends on an array of policy and economic variables, but Enverus finds that developers can gauge expectations based in large part on their project’s geographic location.

Ryan Luther, research director at Enverus Intelligence Research (EIR), said in the report’s Executive Summary, “The surge in investment and development has overwhelmed interconnection queues, with a record number of projects seeking grid connections. This has exceeded grid operators’ processing capacity, causing significant delays and project suspensions.”