ReferenceLarge-load power by market
Chicago: what a 50 MW connection costs under Commonwealth Edison
What does a 50 MW connection cost in Chicago?
In short. In Chicago, Commonwealth Edison connects a 50 MW load under Revised General Terms and Conditions for large loads plus FERC-approved Transmission Security Agreements (TSAs), docket ICC 25-0677 (approved). Minimum bill: committed revenue contributions with shortfall payments if usage misses commitments. Term: not published. Realistic energization: 2031. Open Factory's Large-Load Cost Table, as of August 21, 2026.
Facts
| Market | Chicago, IL (PJM) |
|---|---|
| Utility | Commonwealth Edison |
| Tariff or rule | Revised General Terms and Conditions for large loads plus FERC-approved Transmission Security Agreements (TSAs) |
| Docket | ICC 25-0677 (approved); FERC TSA orders Feb to Mar 2026 |
| Status | approved |
| Large-load threshold | not published (TSAs are for transmission-level loads) |
| Study fee | not published |
| Security or collateral | credit obligations under TSAs; 4 GW of signed TSAs have posted about $1 billion |
| Minimum bill | committed revenue contributions with shortfall payments if usage misses commitments |
| Contract term | not published |
| Ramp | defined ramp in each TSA |
| Exit fee | termination-fee schedule in each TSA |
| CIAC exposure | transmission facilities secured by the TSA credit obligations; customer facility readiness obligation |
| Realistic energization, 50 MW | 2031 |
| Verification | PARTIAL (TSA structure verified via FERC orders as reported; ICC terms not opened) |
| Data as of | August 21, 2026 |
Questions
What does a 50 MW connection cost in Chicago?
Commonwealth Edison: study fee not published; collateral credit obligations under TSAs; 4 GW of signed TSAs have posted about $1 billion; minimum bill committed revenue contributions with shortfall payments if usage misses commitments; term not published.
When can a 50 MW load be energized in Chicago?
2031. JLL 2026 outlook: ~5 years average for a new 50 MW data center in Chicago; ComEd has ~9 GW of high-probability data center load; Exelon's pipeline fell from 43 GW to 25 GW in Q2 2026.
Which tariff applies to large loads in Chicago?
Revised General Terms and Conditions for large loads plus FERC-approved Transmission Security Agreements (TSAs); docket ICC 25-0677 (approved); FERC TSA orders Feb to Mar 2026; status: approved.
Is this rate proposed or approved?
Approved or in effect as of the data date (approved). PARTIAL (TSA structure verified via FERC orders as reported; ICC terms not opened).
Sources
- Open Factory Large-Load Cost Table
- utilitydive.com (2026-03-11)
- utilitydive.com (2026-07-31)
- eta-publications.lbl.gov (Appendix 1)
Data as of August 21, 2026. This page is rebuilt from the same table the Large-Load Interconnection Cost, the API and the MCP server read, so the figures cannot differ. Also available as plain markdown. Cite as Open Factory, Chicago: what a 50 MW connection costs under Commonwealth Edison, August 21, 2026.
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