The Electric Reliability Council of Texas voted to simplify the interconnection process for data centers seeking to connect to the state's power grid. The decision is intended to reduce backlogs and shorten timelines for large load customers, a category increasingly dominated by AI infrastructure. Texas has become one of the fastest-growing markets for data center construction in the United States. The streamlined process could accelerate gigawatts of new load additions on the ERCOT system over the next several years.