Interconnection queue guide · NYISO

NYISO interconnection queue

How NYISO replaced Class Year studies with a two-phase cluster study, what the Transition Cluster holds, and what the public record shows for NYISO requests.

GridVision AI ResearchPublished September 17, 2026Updated September 17, 2026

NYISO at a glance

Process: Since August 1, 2024, a two-phase cluster study has replaced individual studies and the Class Year study, with commercial readiness deposits and withdrawal penalties.
Transition Cluster window: Opened August 1, 2024 and closed October 15, 2024.
Transition Cluster size: About 240 generation projects advanced into the first phase (April 2025). NYISO later described the Transition Cluster as over 70 GW of new generation, more than double its summer peak load (March 2026).
Transition Cluster requirements: A $10,000 non-refundable application fee ($5,000 for CRIS-only requests); study deposits of $100,000 below 80 MW, $150,000 for 80–199 MW and $250,000 from 200 MW ($50,000 for CRIS-only); and full site control with an officer attestation.
Next cluster: In March 2026, NYISO proposed 25 enhancements for its 2026 Cluster Study and planned an August 2026 start, subject to FERC action.

Sources: NYISO, “Enhancing the Interconnection Process,” August 1, 2024; NYISO, Notice of the Transition Cluster Study Application Window, July 1, 2024; NYISO, “Aspiring Generation Projects Advance Through a New NYISO Interconnection Process,” April 22, 2025; NYISO, 2026 Cluster Study Enhancements, TPAS presentation, March 9, 2026.

Facts checked September 17, 2026.

How the NYISO process works

NYISO's cluster study moves through these steps:

01Application windowSubmit the request with fee, study deposit and site control. The Transition Cluster window ran 75 calendar days.
02ValidationNYISO reviews the request and the customer cures any deficiencies.
03Customer engagement window, then the Phase 1 entry decision
04Phase 1 cluster study190 calendar days in the Transition Cluster, then the Phase 2 entry decision.
05Phase 2 cluster study270 days in the Transition Cluster.
06Final decision period, then the interconnection agreement

Transition Cluster durations come from NYISO's draft technical bulletin, which also lists shorter windows for later clusters. The tariff governs any live project.

Sources: NYISO, Interconnection Cluster Study Overview (draft technical bulletin).

What the public record shows at NYISO points of interconnection

The public dataset does not name points of interconnection consistently enough for node-level NYISO pages yet, so the record is read by the year requests were filed.

Market-wide: NYISO interconnection queue outcomes by year filed.

Questions to answer before advancing a NYISO queue position

Which cluster is the project in, and which rules govern its next entry decision?
What do your Phase 1 results assume about other requests in a cluster that is larger than the state's peak load?
What is at risk if you enter the next phase, and what is forfeited if you withdraw now?
Which unknowns could change the answer, who owns each one, and when will it be resolved?

Weighing whether to advance a NYISO queue position?

Bring the decision, and get back a management-ready decision record: what is verified, what is assumed, what is still unknown, and what to do next.

Bring One Live Decision

Sources

Facts checked September 17, 2026. Process rules and queue data change; the governing tariff, manuals and study documents control any live project.