Large-load interconnection is shifting from a simple queue problem into a priced flexibility and cost-allocation market.
What changed
Grid operators and state regulators are moving large loads toward contractual flexibility, special tariffs, and customer-funded reliability obligations.
Money flow
Large-load customers may increasingly fund generation, storage, grid upgrades, standby capacity, and flexibility mechanisms.
Value capture
Value creation is clearer than value capture. Regulation and pass-through economics remain unresolved.
Kill criteria
The thesis weakens if special tariffs disappear, capacity stress fades, or supply arrives fast enough that flexibility is no longer required.