US Grid Interconnection Agreements Hit Record 75 GW in 2024 Amid Federal Reforms

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Representational image. Credit: Canva

The United States recorded its highest-ever volume of grid interconnection agreements in 2024, with capacity surging 33% year-on-year to 75 gigawatts (GW), according to a new report by Wood Mackenzie. The milestone follows the introduction of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Order No. 2023 and other regional reforms designed to accelerate the processing of interconnection requests.

The report, Tracking the Progress of US Grid Interconnection, highlights that the reforms have begun to ease longstanding bottlenecks by reducing speculative projects and clearing queue backlogs. โ€œWe saw a record year in 2024, with 75 GW of secured capacity. 2025 is maintaining this momentum, as major grid operators have already secured 36 GW through July 2025, positioning the year to match 2024โ€™s record,โ€ said Kaitlin Fung, research analyst for North America Utility-Scale Solar at Wood Mackenzie.

Alongside the surge in agreements, the industry saw 9% fewer new project entries and a 51% increase in withdrawals of non-viable projects since 2022, signaling a more efficient and realistic interconnection pipeline.

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Solar and Storage Dominate Agreements
Solar and storage projects accounted for 75% of all interconnection agreements in 2024, securing 58 GW. Solar alone has made up half of all signed interconnection agreements since 2019โ€”a trend that continues this year.

Natural gas has also seen renewed activity, with 121 GW of interconnection requests submitted since 2022. Applications in 2025 have already surpassed annual records, but successful agreements have dropped 25% since 2022, particularly in PJM, MISO, and ERCOT.

Regional Disparities Persist
The report notes that performance varies widely across grid operators. ERCOT leads in both success rates and processing speed, thanks to its โ€œconnect-and-manageโ€ approach. ISO New England (ISONE) follows in success rates but suffers the longest processing times due to its delayed shift to cluster-based reviews. Meanwhile, CAISO ranks third but has one of the lowest success rates, largely due to a flood of speculative projects.

โ€œWhile weโ€™re seeing positive momentum, significant challenges remain,โ€ Fung added. โ€œNatural gas projects are entering queues at record levels but securing fewer agreements, and regional disparities in processing highlight the ongoing need for reform.โ€

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