Assertion Supported AI assessment confidence: 90% certainty 3/5 debate potential 2/5

Wong: Transmission interconnection studies take 6-9 months and cost $250K

Josh Wong · Can AI revolutionize grid operations? · Aug 20, 2026 · at 11:07

Josh Wong, CEO of ThinkLabs, discusses the standard duration and cost benchmarks for utility transmission grid impact and interconnection studies.

0:00 / 0:17exact quote · 17.4s

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“I think most utilities are talking about six to nine months to perform one of those studies, and it's a one-time, right, so risk of restudies will compound that, and it does cost internal utility, typically a hundred, A couple of 100,000 dollars. The typical benchmark is about quarter million dollars per study”

quote is from the automated transcript, cleaned for reading: filler sounds and stutters are removed, nothing is rephrased. names can be misheard (the analysis reads context, assessments check outside sources). how →

The claim, plainly

A typical transmission cluster or large load interconnection study takes six to nine months and costs an electric utility roughly $250,000.

a quote alone can be ambiguous, so this restates it with the references and context of the conversation around it resolved. AI-written; the tape below the player is the source.

Assessment

Both components of Josh Wong's statement are supported by regulatory frameworks and utility filings. First, regarding timeline, FERC Order No. 2023 establishes a 150-calendar-day (~5 months) cluster study phase, which alongside initial engagement and window requirements spans 5 to 9 months, while ERCOT's May 2026 Large Load Interconnection Study (LLIS) guidelines benchmark standard large load studies at 6 to 9 months. Second, regarding study costs, FERC Order No. 2023 pro forma cluster study deposits set the benchmark for large interconnection requests (>200 MW) at $250,000 (and $150,000 for 80–200 MW), aligned with state-level large load study fee structures (such as Colorado PUC proceeding 25I-0418E specifying $80,000 to $250,000 and ERCOT large load filings ranging from $100,000 to $300,000+). While these engineering costs are ultimately reimbursed by developers via tariff deposits, the internal study execution cost benchmark matches the stated figure.

FERC Order No. 2023 / 2023-A pro forma LGIP cluster study timeline sets an initial 150-day study phase that spans 5 to 9 months when combined with window requirements.
ERCOT Large Load Interconnection Study (LLIS) Guidelines (May 2026) state standard large load studies take 6 to 9 months.
FERC Order No. 2023 sets cluster study deposits up to $250,000 for large requests (>200 MW) to cover actual incurred utility study costs.
Colorado PUC Proceeding 25I-0418E (December 2025) and Texas PUCT filings establish large load study fees ranging between $80,000 and $300,000+.

Checked against

[1] latitudemedia.com [2] latitudemedia.com [3] orrick.com [4] troutman.com [5] paulhastings.com [6] keentelengineering.com [7] blizzardpower.com [8] lbl.gov

"large load interconnection study" cost duration "250,000" "cluster study" 150 days "250,000" utility cost transmission cluster study duration cost 250000 utility FERC "Josh Wong" "interconnection" "250,000" OR "Catalyst" "large load interconnection study" "six to nine months" interconnection study cost electric utility 250000 six to nine months LBNL interconnection queue study duration cost cluster study FERC Order 2023 cluster study timeline cost deposit "interconnection study" "$250,000" utility "internal cost" OR "study cost"

assessed as of 2026-09-02

This assessment is an AI reading of a public statement, made against the cited references with the confidence shown. It can be wrong. The quote, the tape and the references are all on this page; if something is off, use report an error below. full disclaimer →

Mentioned

electric utilities transmission system

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