⚠️ AI DISCLOSURE
This episode of The Solar Coaster features AI-generated voice narration of Anna Covert and Alex Herrera. All content has been reviewed, approved, and reflects general industry insights and discussion topics. This episode is intended for informational and educational purposes only and does not represent the specific opinions, legal advice, financial advice, or guarantees of the individuals or companies mentioned.
🎙️ THE SOLAR COASTER PODCAST
Imagine spending years developing a clean energy project.
You secure the land.
Raise the capital.
Complete the engineering.
Purchase the equipment.
Then you are told to wait years before you can connect it to the electric grid.
That is the reality facing thousands of solar, wind, and battery storage projects across the United States.
In this episode of The Solar Coaster, Anna Covert and Alex Herrera examine the Grid Connection and Congestion Management Act introduced by Senator Martin Heinrich and its proposed fast-track interconnection framework known as BASED, or Basic Access Service for Energy-Only Delivery.
The idea borrows from the “connect and manage” approach used in Texas.
Instead of requiring every physical transmission upgrade before a project connects, qualifying generators could receive faster access to the grid while accepting the possibility of curtailment when transmission becomes congested.
Connect first.
Manage congestion dynamically.
Build longer-term upgrades where they are truly needed.
Could this unlock billions of dollars in solar and storage investment?
Or would it shift too much complexity and risk from the planning process into real-time grid operations?
🌞 WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
Why interconnection queues have become a defining clean energy bottleneck
How traditional network-resource studies can create years of delays
What BASED, Basic Access Service for Energy-Only Delivery, means
How Texas uses a connect-and-manage model
Why participating projects may face congestion-related curtailment
How battery storage could help developers manage curtailment risk
Why BASED requests could be studied separately from large cluster queues
How the proposal differs from existing Energy Resource Interconnection Service
What role FERC would play in implementing the new framework
Why software and active grid management could substitute for some physical upgrades
The potential benefits and risks for developers, utilities, grid operators, and consumers
⚡ THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY SUN ENERGY TODAY
Sun Energy Today delivers residential, commercial, utility-scale solar, and advanced energy storage solutions designed for long-term reliability, resilience, and measurable value.
Visit Sun Energy Today:
https://sunenergytoday.com/
Explore commercial solar solutions:
https://sunenergytoday.com/commercial/
Explore utility-scale solar and storage:
https://sunenergytoday.com/utility-scale-solar/
View solar projects:
https://sunenergytoday.com/solar-projects/
Start a conversation:
https://sunenergytoday.com/contact-us/
Connect with Alex Herrera on LinkedIn:
https://linkedin.com/in/atzael-herrera-84223436
🌐 THE SOLAR COASTER
Website:
https://solarcoasterbook.com/
Explore podcast episodes and extended content:
https://solarcoasterbook.com/extended-content/
Connect with Anna Covert:
https://annacovert.com/
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