# Houston: what a 50 MW connection costs under CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric

URL: https://open-factory.com/power/houston/
Data as of: 2026-08-21
Publisher: Open Factory, https://open-factory.com

**What does a 50 MW connection cost in Houston?** In Houston, CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric connects a 50 MW load under same ERCOT/PUCT regime as Oncor; facility extension agreements with deposits below 75 MW, docket PUCT Project 58481. Minimum bill: none. Term: none. Realistic energization: 2028 to 2029. Open Factory's Large-Load Cost Table, as of August 21, 2026.

## Facts

- Market: Houston, TX (ERCOT)
- Utility: CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric
- Tariff or rule: same ERCOT/PUCT regime as Oncor; facility extension agreements with deposits below 75 MW
- Docket: PUCT Project 58481; Batch Zero
- Status: as Oncor
- Large-load threshold: 75 MW (SB 6); 25 MW for community-impact review
- Study fee: TDSP study (fee not published)
- Security or collateral: facility extension agreements with customer cash commitments and deposits: about $900 million against 14 GW of Batch Zero-eligible load
- Minimum bill: none
- Contract term: none
- Ramp: none required by rule
- Exit fee: forfeiture terms in facility extension agreements (not public)
- CIAC exposure: customer-funded extension facilities under the TDSP tariff; 100% direct interconnection CIAC at 75 MW+ (proposed)
- Realistic energization, 50 MW: 2028 to 2029
- Verification: PARTIAL (company statements verified; tariff sheet not opened)
- Data as of: August 21, 2026

## Questions

### What does a 50 MW connection cost in Houston?

CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric: study fee TDSP study (fee not published); collateral facility extension agreements with customer cash commitments and deposits: about $900 million against 14 GW of Batch Zero-eligible load; minimum bill none; term none.

### When can a 50 MW load be energized in Houston?

2028 to 2029. CenterPoint: 3.5 GW under construction; 8 GW of data center load energized by 2029 and nearly all 14 GW by end-2030; 90% of projects at or under 500 MW sited near existing substations; JLL puts Texas (Dallas) at ~2.5 years for 50 MW.

### Which tariff applies to large loads in Houston?

same ERCOT/PUCT regime as Oncor; facility extension agreements with deposits below 75 MW; docket PUCT Project 58481; Batch Zero; status: as Oncor.

### Is this rate proposed or approved?

Approved or in effect as of the data date (as Oncor). PARTIAL (company statements verified; tariff sheet not opened).

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## Sources

- [Open Factory Large-Load Cost Table](https://open-factory.com/models/large-load-cost-table/)
- [utilitydive.com (2026-07-28)](https://www.utilitydive.com/news/centerpoint-energy-14-gw-texas-batch-zero-large-load-earnings/826329/)
- [utilitydive.com (2026-04-23)](https://www.utilitydive.com/news/centerpoint-energy-data-center-load-earnings/818293/)

Model: https://open-factory.com/models/large-load-cost-table/
Calculator: https://open-factory.com/tools/interconnection-cost/