Clean Energy Backlog Eases with Groundbreaking New Rule: Kiplinger Economic Forecasts
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is opening up the pathway to the electric grid.

To help you understand what is going on in the energy sector and what we expect to happen in the future, our highly-experienced Kiplinger Letter team will keep you abreast of the latest developments and forecasts (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe). You'll get all the latest news first by subscribing, but we will publish many (but not all) of the forecasts a few days afterward online. Here’s the latest...
Federal regulators want to connect new projects to the electric grid faster. A new rule shifts the approach of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from “first come, first served” to “first ready, first served” when the agency decides what grid upgrades to prioritize to bring new generation and storage projects online.
The rule is FERC’s first update to interconnection requirements in two decades. Wait times to connect projects to the grid have escalated in recent years. A typical power plant or storage project built in 2022 took roughly five years to proceed from its interconnection request to commercial operation, up from three in 2015.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Meanwhile, interconnection queues increased by 40% last year, bringing the total backlog of projects awaiting grid connection to 2,000 gigawatts. Experts say the move is a step in the right direction, but more is needed to reduce interconnection backlogs, as well as the cost of completing upgrades.
FERC is preparing another rule intended to spur transmission development via improved planning and cost allocation, to be released in the coming months.
With odds of a bipartisan deal to reform energy permitting starting to fade, the agency’s regulatory moves will play an outsize role in the promotion of new and improved grid infrastructure. Congressional Democrats have started to petition FERC — now evenly split between two Democrats and two Republicans, with one vacancy — on possible changes to proposed regulations. Willie Phillips, acting FERC chairman, has committed to advancing rules in a bipartisan manner.
The question now is who will fill FERC’s lone vacancy, as well as when, tipping the agency’s balance of power back in favor of the Democrats. The White House has yet to name a nominee for consideration by the Senate, despite much speculation.
This forecast first appeared in The Kiplinger Letter, which has been running since 1923 and is a collection of concise weekly forecasts on business and economic trends, as well as what to expect from Washington, to help you understand what’s coming up to make the most of your investments and your money. Subscribe to The Kiplinger Letter.
Related Content
Get Kiplinger Today newsletter — free
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

-
Stock Market Today: Cautious Investors Let Stocks Drift Lower
Markets weigh encouraging trends for earnings and tariffs against concerning signals from U.S. consumers.
-
A Smart Way to Combat Economic Rollercoasters
Savings With rates on CDs remaining high for now, a CD ladder allows you to maximize your returns with flexibility to your cash when you need it.
-
AI Goes To School
The Kiplinger Letter Artificial intelligence is rapidly heading to K-12 classrooms nationwide. Expect tech companies to cash in on the fast-emerging trend.
-
The IRS is in Chaos
The Tax Letter DOGE, departures, data agreements and more are creating havoc at the IRS.
-
Trump's Second 100 Days
The Kiplinger Letter President Trump's agenda faces legal and legislative roadblocks.
-
The Economic Impact of the US-China Trade War
The Letter The US-China trade war will impact US consumers and business. The decoupling process could be messy.
-
Trump Dials Back Most Tariffs but Targets China
The Kiplinger Letter Wall Street hopes that higher tariffs on most countries are on hold for good. But the trade war between the U.S. and China is heating up.
-
Trump's Sweeping New Tariffs Rattle Wall Street, Main Street
The Kiplinger Letter Trump is promising that the short-term pain of steep new tariffs on imports will spark a manufacturing renaissance. But they pose major risks in the near term.
-
Congressional Republicans Tackle Trump's Agenda
The Kiplinger Letter Despite slim majorities in both chambers, the GOP is gearing up to overhaul taxes, border security and more.
-
What DOGE is Doing Now
The Kiplinger Letter As Musk's DOGE pursues its ambitious agenda, uncertainty and legal challenges are mounting — causing frustration for Trump.