On June 18, 2026, the PUC granted ERCOT’s request to not file the reports due to the length of time necessary to develop them, the urgency of ERCOT’s transition to the Batch Zero process, and because of delays this year in finalizing the long-term load forecast (LTLF) values used in each of those reports.
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ERCOT won’t be completing two key planning reports this year after receiving permission to skip them by the Texas Public Utility Commission.
At issue are the May 2026 Capacity, Demand, and Reserves Report (CDR) and the 2026 Regional Transmission Plan (RTP). The CDR, which ERCOT releases twice annually, assesses the anticipated summer and winter planning reserve for a 10-year planning horizon. The RTP, which ERCOT releases once per year, is a key report that identifies system needs and evaluates potential transmission improvements to address those needs. Typically, ERCOT files these reports to satisfy ERCOT rules.
But on June 18, 2026, the PUC granted ERCOT’s request to not file the reports due to the length of time necessary to develop them, the urgency of ERCOT’s transition to the Batch Zero process, and because of delays this year in finalizing the long-term load forecast (LTLF) values used in each of those reports.
Regarding the CDR, ERCOT stated that if the PUC approves its recommendation to use the Batch Zero Load forecast to adjust the LTLF, the final LTLF would be available mid-August 2026. Consequently, the earliest ERCOT could release its CDR would be September or October 2026. Since the December CDR would be developed and posted shortly thereafter, ERCOT maintained there was limited value to developing a delayed May 2026 CDR.
As for the 2026 RTP, ERCOT asserted that good cause existed to not perform this year’s study because significant ERCOT transmission planning resources were needed to continue developing the Batch Zero process to accommodate the current flood of data center interconnection requests. (You can read more about Batch Zero here.) ERCOT also expects that the Batch Study framework will eventually replace the RTP process.
Both the CDR and RTP are important tools for assessing resource adequacy inside the ERCOT region. The CDR presents information on forecasted load, available resources, and the resulting Planning Reserve Margin in a manner that is relatively understandable. This is particularly useful for policymakers, as it provides a general idea of what to expect as far as the capacity available as compared to firm load at the seasonal peak.
In addition, PUC rules require ERCOT to use load data submitted for the 2026 RTP in its transmission planning studies and resource adequacy assessments until ERCOT constructs new planning cases with the load data submitted by distribution service providers. Because ERCOT is no longer completing the 2026 RTP, ERCOT and the PUC must now consider whether it is appropriate to adopt rules to use the Batch Zero framework instead of the 2026 RTP for transmission planning and resource adequacy purposes.
— Jack Klug