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Texas grid operator's Batch Zero process reveals massive energy appetite from data centers, with Galaxy Digital and Cipher Digital leading allocations
Texas’ grid operator just handed out conditional power capacity to some of the biggest names in Bitcoin mining and AI infrastructure, and the numbers are staggering. Public disclosures from companies participating in ERCOT’s Batch Zero process now total approximately 13.275 GW of conditional capacity, with over 5 GW earmarked specifically for new AI deployments.
What Batch Zero actually means #
ERCOT launched its Batch Zero process in June 2026 to tackle a growing headache: an avalanche of large-load interconnection requests, primarily from data centers. The process evaluates projects of 75 MW or larger in batches, rather than on a first-come, first-served basis.
The classifications break down into two categories. Base load represents power that’s expected to be consumed continuously. Studied load gets flagged for further analysis before it can be fully committed. Of the 13.275 GW disclosed publicly, about 6.875 GW has been identified as base load. These classifications remain conditional, subject to verification and further audits. ERCOT isn’t writing blank checks here — it’s trying to separate serious projects from speculative ones in a queue where nearly 90% of requests come from data centers.
The winners so far #
Galaxy Digital emerged as the single largest recipient, disclosing 4.23 GW of conditional capacity spread across five Texas sites. Cipher Digital followed with 3.2 GW. Core Scientific secured between 1.33 and 1.4 GW.
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A queue that dwarfs the grid #
ERCOT’s total interconnection queue now exceeds 438 to 474 GW. The state’s current peak demand sits at roughly 91 GW. So the queue is roughly five times larger than the entire grid’s maximum output.
The 5 GW-plus of AI-specific capacity that’s been conditionally approved through Batch Zero represents a fraction of what developers are requesting. As audits proceed, ERCOT will need to determine how much new generation capacity Texas actually needs to accommodate these loads without compromising grid reliability.
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