CAISO interconnection queue: where battery storage outweighs solar
The CAISO interconnection queue in the FieldProspects database lists 780 planned power projects totalling 186.2 GW, next to 100.3 GW already operating on that grid. Battery storage, not solar, leads the pipeline with 415 entries and 100.6 GW, ahead of solar at 72.2 GW.
Data as of
What is the CAISO interconnection queue?
The CAISO interconnection queue is the set of generation and storage projects that have applied to connect to the grid run by the California Independent System Operator. Developers join the list to have their connection studied, so it shows which projects are seeking a connection to the CAISO grid.
CAISO planned and operating projects
The planned CAISO pipeline is 1.9 times the capacity of the operating fleet. Battery storage accounts for 54% of it, and the planned batteries are 5.9 times the 17.1 GW already in operation. Solar has the larger base today, 25.8 GW operating, and 72.2 GW planned.
Natural gas is the clearest contrast: 32.4 GW operates on the CAISO grid, yet only 9 gas entries totalling 1.1 GW are planned. Wind adds 35 entries and 9.9 GW. Of the 780 planned entries, 562 come from the CAISO interconnection queue and 218 are planned units from federal generator filings.
| Planned projects | 780 |
|---|---|
| Planned capacity | 186.2 GW |
| Operating projects | 2,858 |
| Operating capacity | 100.3 GW |
| Planned projects with a developer attributed | 42.2% (329 of 780) |
| Operating projects with a developer attributed | 9.9% (283 of 2,858) |
| Technology | Planned projects | Planned capacity | Operating projects | Operating capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Storage | 415 | 100.6 GW | 310 | 17.1 GW |
| Solar | 298 | 72.2 GW | 1,068 | 25.8 GW |
| Wind | 35 | 9.9 GW | 131 | 10 GW |
| Other | 5 | 1.6 GW | 5 | 21 MW |
| Natural Gas | 9 | 1.1 GW | 629 | 32.4 GW |
| Hydro | 8 | 682 MW | 346 | 8.8 GW |
| Geothermal | 2 | 62.4 MW | 42 | 2.2 GW |
| Landfill Gas | 5 | 9.4 MW | 102 | 274.1 MW |
| Biomass | 3 | 7.6 MW | 95 | 732.5 MW |
| Nuclear | None | None | 2 | 2.3 GW |
| Oil | None | None | 121 | 439.3 MW |
| Coal | None | None | 3 | 62.5 MW |
| Waste Heat | None | None | 4 | 49.7 MW |
| All technologies | 780 | 186.2 GW | 2,858 | 100.3 GW |
CAISO projects by state
California holds 669 of the 780 planned entries and 77% of the capacity. The other 111 entries sit in Nevada, Arizona and Wyoming, which the database assigns to the CAISO grid: Nevada adds 20.4 GW, Arizona 18.8 GW and Wyoming 3.6 GW.
| State | Projects | Capacity | Share of capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 669 | 143.4 GW | 77% |
| Nevada | 61 | 20.4 GW | 11% |
| Arizona | 46 | 18.8 GW | 10.1% |
| Wyoming | 4 | 3.6 GW | 1.9% |
When CAISO projects are expected in service
Every planned CAISO entry carries an expected year, and they run out to 2035. Only 41 entries, 5.3% of the list, carry a year that has already passed.
2027 has the most entries, 166, but 2028 holds the most capacity, 39.8 GW from 112 projects. 2035 is the furthest expected year of the four grids with a page here.
| Expected in-service year | Projects | Capacity | Share of capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before 2026, still listed as planned | 41 | 6.1 GW | 3.3% |
| 2026 | 152 | 14.8 GW | 7.9% |
| 2027 | 166 | 26.6 GW | 14.3% |
| 2028 | 112 | 39.8 GW | 21.4% |
| 2029 | 97 | 26.3 GW | 14.1% |
| 2030 | 74 | 19.8 GW | 10.6% |
| 2031 | 94 | 31.1 GW | 16.7% |
| 2032 | 17 | 8.6 GW | 4.6% |
| 2033 | 17 | 8.7 GW | 4.7% |
| 2034 | 8 | 3.8 GW | 2% |
| 2035 | 2 | 556.3 MW | 0.3% |
| All planned projects | 780 | 186.2 GW | 100% |
The five largest planned CAISO entries
The five largest planned CAISO entries run from 1.2 GW to 2.3 GW, against an average of 239.3 MW among planned entries that state a capacity. Names are shown as the source lists them. An entry can be a single unit or one phase of a larger site, so each figure describes that entry alone.
| Entry name | Capacity |
|---|---|
| Atlas Complex | 2.3 GW |
| Holman | 1.5 GW |
| Sanborn Hybrid 3 | 1.4 GW |
| Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind | 1.3 GW |
| Wingtip Solar 1 | 1.2 GW |
What the database adds for CAISO
A developer is attributed on 42.2% of planned CAISO projects (329 of 780) and 9.9% of operating ones. That is the second-highest planned share of the four grids with a page here.
Filter the CAISO rows by technology or state, then export the result as CSV or Excel.
Source. CAISO interconnection queue and U.S. Energy Information Administration Form EIA-860M, compiled by FieldProspects.
Related pages
- Interconnection queues Queue summaries for ERCOT, PJM, MISO and CAISO, with planned capacity and technology mix.
- ERCOT Planned and operating projects on the ERCOT grid, by technology, state and in-service year.
- MISO Planned and operating projects on the MISO grid, by technology, state and in-service year.
- PJM Planned and operating projects on the PJM grid, by technology, state and in-service year.
- Developers The companies behind power projects, with attributed project counts and benchmark figures.
- Data center site selection Compare states and grids by planned and existing generation to find where power is available.
- Battery storage Planned and operating battery storage in the database, by state, grid and in-service year.
- Largest solar developers Solar developers ranked by attributed project count and capacity, with how much of the market is attributed.
- FieldProspects vs Cleanview A dated comparison of what each product costs and includes, using only public information.
- About What FieldProspects is, what is in the database, and where the data comes from.