Flexible Loads in ERCOT = Provisional CLRs
Explains how Provisional CLRs would bring “connect and manage” to Texas AI loads awaiting firm grid capacity.
Luminary Strategies · 12 min read
In brief
Arushi explains Provisional Controllable Load Resources (PCLRs), the voluntary “connect and manage” option for ERCOT’s Batch Zero, the first tranche of large loads to be allocated firm power to connect in 2028 and beyond. She describes how the PCLR formula prices a load’s impact on local congestion and dispatches it after generators, leaving the load to cover any curtailment with private solutions such as batteries, flexibility, backup generation or prime power switchover. She argues that if the proposal is approved in June 2026, solar, gas and inference workload shifting can all be unlocked to serve compute load faster.
Key points
- 01PCLRs are the voluntary “connect and manage” path for ERCOT’s Batch Zero large loads.
- 02PCLRs pay a price reflecting their local congestion impact and are dispatched after generators.
- 03Curtailed loads cover the gap privately with batteries, flexibility, backup or prime power.
“The formula basically ensures that the PCLR pays a price that reflects its impact on the grid’s local traffic jams.”
