2025.10.24 | Queue Bypass: Data Centers Use BESS to Disrupt Utility Planning

Utility planning faces an immediate crisis as major customers deploy Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) specifically to achieve queue circumvention and force early interconnection. We analyze the strategic necessity of this Q bypass model and how this technical disruption creates a systemic risk to accurate load forecasting and IRPs. Plus, we look at regulated utility Q3 stability, including CenterPoint's strong $0.50 EPS and PG&E's risk mitigation innovation, and new private equity flowing into decentralized assets. Tune in to understand the critical race for 2026: Can utilities adapt tariffs quickly enough to constructively integrate these new grid-responsive assets before losing control?