In response to the data center boom, the Texas House recently passed Senate Bill 6, which promotes oversight of large loads (exceeding 75 MW), particularly those with behind-the-meter generation. The measure aims to stabilize the grid in ERCOT through initiatives such as a demand response program, empowering regulators to temporarily disconnect large loads and enhancing data collection for load forecasts.
Enverus Intelligence® Research estimates that 400 hours of demand response could lead to the ability to add about 10 GW of additional net load (Figure 1). This could help support the large forecast load growth in ERCOT and ensure reliable service to residential customers while that expansion continues. Senate Bill 6 also includes a variety of provisions targeting improved transparency and data collection in the interconnection process.
However, these additional regulations could slow the construction of new data centers in Texas, which generally have very high reliability requirements and seek to avoid disconnections.
Research Highlights
- European Batteries – Funded but Fractured – This report presents a market overview of the opportunities and challenges associated with developing battery projects in Europe. Enverus Intelligence® Research evaluates the overall attractiveness of European markets by examining regulatory frameworks, revenue potential and funding availability, and compares these factors to Texas.
- EVOLVE 2025 – Where Gas Wins: Best Markets for Builds – This presentation to the Enverus EVOLVE 2025 conference explores the evolving role of natural gas power plants and identifies the key drivers – data center demand, load growth, prices, reliability needs, ancillary services and more – shaping their economic viability. We examine where and why new gas builds provide the greatest financial and operational benefits in today’s energy landscape.
- American Clean Power – Unwinding the Queue: Accelerating Interconnection Backlogs and Bottlenecks – This presentation to the American Clean Power conference in May outlines our machine learning model that predicts which queued projects are most likely to reach commercial operation, transforming the way investors evaluate queued assets and portfolios. We examine how network upgrade costs influence project success and how Pearl Street, a cutting-edge simulation platform, allows users to model these costs with the same rigor used by major ISOs.
Enverus Intelligence® | Research, Inc. (EIR) is a subsidiary of Enverus that publishes energy-sector research focused on the oil, natural gas, power and renewable industries. EIR publishes reports including asset and company valuations, resource assessments, technical evaluations and macro-economic forecasts, and helps make intelligent connections for energy industry participants, service companies and capital providers worldwide. See additional disclosures here.
