Technical assistance for PUCs and SEOs focused on data centers and other large loads is now available

March 1, 2026

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is pleased to announce the latest opportunity for state public utility commissions (PUCs) and state energy offices (SEOs) to receive extended duration, high impact technical assistance. On March 1st, 2026, the Resources and Assistance for State Energy Offices and Regulators program will begin accepting applications from PUCs and SEOs for Deep Dive technical assistance on issues related to data centers and other large loads. States will be connected with subject matter experts (SME) from Argonne National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, National Laboratory of the Rockies, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, for up to 300 person-hours of technical assistance. Although there is no deadline for application submissions, applications will be accumulated over the course of each month. All applicants in a given month will be contacted by the end of the following month with a decision regarding their application.

Although this technical assistance opportunity can provide support on virtually any issue related to data centers and other types of large loads, it is especially focused on addressing the following key topics, with examples of specific requests for technical assistance that could be supported through this program:

  • Interconnection: What changes could my state consider making to our current interconnection process and relevant study assumptions to expedite the interconnection of data centers and large load customers? How could my state consider the opportunities to leverage the flexibility of existing electric utility customers as well as new data center and large load customers to further expedite interconnection?
  • Tariffs & Contracts: What options exist to ensure the addition of data centers and other large load customers does not adversely affect electricity affordability of existing customers?
  • Forecasting: How can my state build the capacity of our staff on the forecasting of data centers and other large loads, as well as their impact on the electric grid? How could my state differentiate between speculation and forecasts for large loads? How could flexibility mechanisms be brought into large load forecasts?
  • Resource Adequacy: What options exist to augment my state’s transmission providers’ existing evaluation and selection processes and criteria concerning solutions that meet long-term transmission needs due to the interconnection of data centers and other large loads? What issues could arise when considering the opportunity to co-locate new data centers and other large loads with generation assets that ensure resource adequacy for existing customers?
  • Operational Impacts: What processes and procedures could my state’s utilities implement to ensure grid stability and reliability and avoid potential adverse impacts on the operation of the electric grid (e.g., fault ride through, load ramping)?

Any additional inquiries about the State TA Program more generally and the process for receiving TA can also be directed to the program’s dedicated email account [email protected] or to any of the National Laboratory contacts listed below:

Argonne National Laboratory
Todd Levin | [email protected] | (630) 252-6878
Zhi Zhou | [email protected]| (630) 252-2894

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Peter Cappers | [email protected] | (315) 637-0513
Jason Ball | [email protected]) | (510) 384-8404

National Laboratory of the Rockies
Michael Ingram | [email protected] | (303) 275-3231
Camille White | [email protected] | (303) 384-6229

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Juliet Homer | [email protected] | (509) 375-2698
Jessica Shipley | [email protected] | (509) 371-7540

This program is offered in partnership with the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and the National Association of State Energy Offices (NASEO).