Grid readiness
From bottleneck to breakthrough: Preparing projects for grid readiness
Opinion piece
January 21, 2026
6 min read
By Jason Ketchum - Vice President, North America at Opoura.
Published in the North American Clean Energy magazine: Read more here
Obtaining grid connection approval has become an increasingly difficult challenge for renewable energy developers today. Across global markets, projects are moving faster than the power grid evolves, creating interconnection queries, growing uncertainty, and fierce competition for available capacity.
According to 2025 figures from Bloomberg and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, nearly 800 GW of solar PV, wind, and battery storage capacity are still waiting to be connected to the grid in the US. Solar PV dominates the queue, accounting for over 40%, while BESS contributes about 30%. The result? A bottleneck that slows clean energy transition and increases the pressure on developers to take the right steps.
Why the queue keeps growing
Analyses that go beyond the spreadsheet
In our experience, avoiding project stagnation requires more than optimism. It demands preparation, planning, and precision—and analyses that go far beyond financial spreadsheets. Integrating technical modeling, regulatory frameworks, and market insights enables developers to determine project feasibility, assess technical capabilities, and ensure grid readiness.
So, assessing plant viability involves navigating a complex web of factors:
1
Technical complexity
2
Regulatory and compliance risks
3
Market and financial uncertainty
4
Grid integration challenges
5
Hidden costs
From construction overruns to unanticipated upgrade expenses, any missed variable can compromise profitability.
Grid connection studies are on the agenda
Complying with grid requirements is becoming increasingly complex, and the most successful developers are those who combine financial insight with strong technical design from the start. As NERC standards evolve, Regional Transmission Operators (RTOs), such as PJM and MISO, are introducing enhanced grid modeling requirements as part of the interconnection process. This involves detailed grid simulations, where you test the electrical behavior of not only individual inverter-based sources (IBRs) but also ensure grid compliance at the plant level, covering everything from battery systems to PV inverters, transformers, and power-plant controllers.
These simulation models validate a project’s technical performance and help system operators ensure grid stability and support better scheduling of grid infrastructure updates. Looking through the eyes of the RTOs, projects that submit complete, validated models early often move through the queue faster.
In co-located plants with multiple turbine types and OEMs, comprehensive grid simulations become even more critical. In a recent project, different OEM power plant controllers were connected to the MISO grid through a Master Power Plant Controller; the site included two wind farms in two development phases, but sharing a single point of interconnection. To meet the requirements set by MISO, validated PSS®E, PSCAD, and TSAT models for the Master PPC were delivered and integrated into the overall plant model. Joint testing with MISO, the customers, and other engineering partners ensured full system and model validation.
Making preparation your competitive advantage
Our experience from projects across the US and Europe shows that preparation is a defining factor in interconnection success, particularly in markets where time-to-approval can make or break a project. Pairing precise investment analysis with robust technical modeling not only demonstrates readiness but also mitigates risks and strengthens credibility with grid operators.
By looking beyond initial applications and prioritizing technical and financial accuracy, developers can navigate interconnection challenges more efficiently and connect renewable projects faster—driving real progress toward a cleaner, more reliable energy future.
