Accelerating Speed to Power/Winning the Artificial Intelligence Race: Federal Action To Rapidly Expand Grid Capacity and Enable Electricity Demand Growth (Request for Information, September 18, 2025)

Overview

Published in the Federal Register of 18 September 2025 (Vol. 90, No. 179), the RFI starts from the observation that electricity demand growth from data centres, semiconductor plants and other large users is outpacing existing grid capacity. It notes multi-gigawatt demand increases in several regions, location-specific loads on accelerated timelines, and gaps in limited transmission capacity, congestion, ageing infrastructure and interconnection delays for both load and generation. Responses were due by 21 November 2025, as PDFs of no more than 15 pages.

DOE cites four executive orders (14154, 14179, 14262 and 14302) and asks for projects that enable a minimum incremental load of 3 GW and support up to 20 GW. Examples are new inter-regional transmission of at least 1,000 MVA, reconductoring of existing lines of at least 500 MVA, returning retired thermal plants to service using existing interconnection capacity, and new generation portfolios. The funding tools named are the Transmission Facilitation Program (DOE as anchor customer through capacity contracts), GRIP, Loan Programs Office loans and guarantees, and National Laboratory technical assistance.

The questions fall under six headings: large-scale generation and transmission projects (with fourteen detail items, including project size, stage, cost and timeline, siting, permitting and interconnection status); high-priority geographic areas; use of DOE funding, financing and technical assistance; load growth trends; grid infrastructure constraints (siting and permitting, financing, construction timelines, supply chain, workforce, interconnection queues, regulatory uncertainty, technology integration, community acceptance); and additional comments.

The document is a request for information only. It is not a funding opportunity or grant programme, and no applications are accepted; DOE may or may not issue a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) afterwards. Responses are non-binding, receive no individual reply, and no compendium will be published. Respondents are advised not to include business-sensitive information, and to mark it clearly if they do.

Key points

1. Rationale: demand growth from data centres, semiconductor plants and manufacturing is outpacing existing grid capacity.
2. Target projects enable a minimum of 3 GW incremental load and support up to 20 GW.
3. Examples: new inter-regional transmission of at least 1,000 MVA, reconductoring of at least 500 MVA, restart of retired thermal plants, new generation portfolios.
4. DOE tools: Transmission Facilitation Program, GRIP, Loan Programs Office loans and guarantees, National Laboratory technical assistance.
5. The RFI cites Executive Orders 14154, 14179, 14262 and 14302.
6. Responses were due 21 November 2025, 5:00 p.m. ET, as PDFs of up to 15 pages.
7. Barrier topics: siting and permitting, financing, construction timelines, supply chain, workforce, interconnection queues, regulatory uncertainty, technology integration and community acceptance.
8. It is not a funding opportunity; DOE may or may not issue a NOFO.

Using it in design

• When planning a large load connection, query the interconnection queue, transmission congestion and reconductoring potential for the relevant grid region early.
• Compare the load size with the RFI's 3 GW and 20 GW thresholds to pre-screen eligibility for federal support.
• Keep alternatives that speed power, such as restarting retired thermal plants and using their existing interconnection, as a separate scenario in site selection.
• Note financing instruments such as loan guarantees and capacity contracts as options in the project structure.

Who should read it

Data-centre developers seeking large load connections, grid operators and energy policy specialists.

Document contents

1. I. Background
2. Infrastructure Projects
3. DOE Funding Programs and Authorities
4. II. RFI Questions
5. 1. Large-Scale Generation and Transmission Projects To Enable Load Growth
6. 2. High-Priority Geographic Areas for Targeted DOE Investment
7. 3. Use of DOE Funding, Financing, and Technical Assistance
8. 4. Load Growth Trends
9. 5. Grid Infrastructure Constraints
10. 6. Additional Comments
11. III. RFI Response Guidelines
12. IV. Disclaimer
13. V. Confidential Business Information

Related standards

• DOE Transmission Facilitation Program

Read the document

Publication details

Authors

U.S. Department of Energy

Publisher

U.S. Department of Energy / Federal Register

Year

2025

Document number

FR Doc. 2025-18058

Document language

English

Source type

Government / public

Access

Open licence — downloadable

Licence

U.S. public domain — U.S. Government work; free to reuse

Licence evidence

www.copyright.gov

Citation