Transmission upgrade timelines vary more than 3x across owners

CALGARY, Alberta (Oct. 27, 2026) - Enverus Intelligence® Research (EIR), a subsidiary of Enverus, the leading energy data analytics platform, is revealing significant differences in transmission upgrade timelines across major U.S. power markets, with median construction times varying more than threefold depending on the transmission owner. The findings underscore a critical consideration for large-load developers: where a project connects to the grid - and who owns the transmission infrastructure - can substantially influence how long it takes to deliver power.

EIR's analysis finds that median transmission upgrade construction timelines range from 12.3 months for Company A to 42.6 months for Company B, exposing substantial differences that regional market averages can obscure. Based on 5,901 completed transmission upgrades and a constraint study covering 47,488 interconnection points across ERCOT, MISO, PJM and SPP, the findings identify transmission owner execution, capital cycles and regulatory posture as important contributors to project delivery timelines.

The research also highlights the potential for significant schedule overruns relative to median construction timelines. Across the four markets, 90th-percentile (P90) transmission upgrade durations range from 53.8 to 61.9 months. For developers planning major new electricity loads, these findings demonstrate why evaluating owner-specific construction histories alongside regional market conditions is important when assessing power delivery risk.

"Our analysis shows that selecting a power market is only part of the equation for large-load developers. Transmission owners operating under the same regional processes can have substantially different construction timelines. Understanding those differences is important when evaluating how quickly a project can receive power," said Carson Kearl, senior analyst and report author at EIR.

Key takeaways:

• Transmission owner selection matters: Median upgrade construction timelines vary more than threefold across transmission owners, ranging from 12.3 months at Company A to 42.6 months at Company B.
• Regional market averages can conceal delivery differences: Owner execution, capital cycles and regulatory posture contribute to substantial variation in construction timelines, including among owners operating within the same regional planning processes.
• Long-tail construction risks persist: P90 transmission upgrade durations range from 53.8 to 61.9 months across ERCOT, MISO, PJM and SPP, substantially exceeding median construction timelines.
• Large electricity loads frequently require upgrades: At 500 MW, 85%-94% of interconnection points across the four markets require network upgrades.
• Extensive historical analysis supports the findings: EIR assessed 5,901 completed transmission upgrades alongside constraint data covering 47,488 interconnection points across four major power markets.

EIR's analysis pulls from a variety of products including Enverus ONE.

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EIR research reports cannot be distributed to members of the media without a scheduled interview. Journalists interested in learning more about this analysis are encouraged to request a media interview with one of our expert analysts, who can provide context, insight, and deeper discussion of the findings.

About Enverus Intelligence® Research
Enverus Intelligence ® | Research, Inc. (EIR) is a subsidiary of Enverus that publishes energy-sector research focused on the oil, natural gas, power and renewable industries. EIR publishes reports including asset and company valuations, resource assessments, technical evaluations and macro-economic forecasts; and helps make intelligent connections for energy industry participants, service companies and capital providers worldwide. Enverus is the most trusted, energy-dedicated SaaS company, with a platform built to create value from generative AI, offering real-time access to analytics, insights and benchmark cost and revenue data sourced from our partnerships to 95% of U.S. energy producers, and more than 40,000 suppliers. Learn more at Enverus.com.