ERCOT

The extra load for Galaxy Digital’s Helios facility ( referring to the pending 2.7 GW expansion beyond the initial 800 MW ) has not been fully confirmed yet. However, a critical milestone was achieved on December 9, 2025, when the ERCOT Board of Directors endorsed the 765-kV Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan (STEP) Eastern Backbone Project and the Oncor/AEPSC Drill Hole to Sand Lake to Solstice 765-kV Line Project. This $9.4 billion initiative addresses grid constraints in West Texas, including the Permian Basin, and paves the way for additional capacity by upgrading infrastructure to support large loads like data centers. This endorsement shifts ERCOT’s load studies from indicating “grid full” to recognizing planned capacity, which is essential for advancing Helios’ Large Load Interconnection Study (LLIS) process. Galaxy management has consistently targeted Q4 2025 for partial approvals, with energization potentially starting in 2027-2028. The next steps include a Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) filing, expected soon, and final LLIS outcomes. No major setbacks have been reported, and the delay in studies was due to comparisons between 765-kV and 345-kV upgrades, now resolved in favor of 765-kV.