Illustrative example — not an actual utility document

IMPERIAL IRRIGATION DISTRICT — ENERGY DEPARTMENT

Transmission Planning & Interconnection Studies

Study No. FS-2025-0147 Class: Feasibility (Scoping-Level) Issued: May 2025

Feasibility Study — Proposed 200 MW Data Center Load Interconnection

Customer: [Developer LLC] · Site: Imperial Valley Data Center Campus, Imperial County, CA · Requested service: 200 MW firm, target energization January 2027

1 · Purpose and Scope

This Feasibility Study evaluates the technical viability of interconnecting a proposed 200 MW data center load at transmission voltage within IID's Balancing Authority Area. The study assesses thermal loading, voltage performance, and contingency response of the transmission system under the requested load, and identifies the facilities and upgrades required for service. It is a scoping-level assessment; a System Impact Study and Facilities Study are required before any construction commitment.

2 · Point of Interconnection

Point of interconnection	230 kV "S" Line, El Centro Switching Station
Delivery voltage	230 kV, three-phase, 60 Hz
Service type	Firm (non-interruptible)
Metering	Primary metering at the POI, customer-owned step-down beyond

3 · Study Findings

Power-flow and contingency analysis was performed for the 2027 summer peak case with the full 200 MW load modeled at the POI.

Confirmed deliverable capacity	200 MW — no thermal or voltage violations under P0–P7 contingency categories at this level
Clean expansion headroom	Up to 250 MW without additional transmission reinforcement
First limiting contingency	At 500 MW, voltage collapse risk under P1 contingency (loss of the 230 kV "S" Line). Service above 250 MW requires a new independent 230 kV circuit and a separate transmission study.
Power factor requirement	0.95 lagging or better at the POI, confirmed achievable; no utility-side reactive compensation required at 200 MW

4 · Required Facilities and Upgrades

Utility-side upgrade	Addition of one 150 MVA 230/92 kV transformer at El Centro Switching Station, associated 230 kV bay, protection, and metering
Estimated cost	$12,000,000 (scoping-level ±50%; customer-funded per IID interconnection policy)
Estimated schedule	18 months from executed Interconnection Agreement, driven by transformer procurement lead time
Customer-side facilities	Customer substation (230 kV to utilization voltage), protection coordination with IID standards, telemetry per IID SCADA requirements

5 · Load Characteristics — Conditions of Service

The customer has identified the load as AI/HPC computing with potentially synchronized load behavior. IID notes the following conditions, to be verified in the System Impact Study:

Load ramp rates at the POI shall be coordinated with IID operations; a ramp-rate limit will be specified in the Interconnection Agreement following the large-load study.
Periodic or oscillatory demand in the 0.05–1 Hz band shall be mitigated at the facility (e.g., energy storage smoothing) if screening indicates possible interaction with system oscillation modes.
A power quality report (harmonics, voltage sag ride-through, fault response) is required prior to energization.

6 · Limitations

This study is valid for 180 days and is based on the transmission topology and queue position as of the study date. It does not reserve transmission capacity, does not constitute an offer of service, and its cost and schedule estimates are non-binding. Results are contingent on the assumptions stated herein and on no material change in queued projects ahead of this request.

Principal Engineer, Transmission Planning

Manager, Interconnection Services

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE prepared by Voltai to show the class of document Meridian takes as input — the utility, figures, and findings mirror Meridian's built-in demo and do not represent any actual Imperial Irrigation District study or determination. A real feasibility study is obtained from the serving utility, typically for a $25–50K study deposit with a 4–8 week turnaround.