The Role of Flexible Connection in Accelerating Load Interconnection in Distribution Networks

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Gu, Nan, Chen, Ge, Qin, Junjie
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Gu, Nan
Chen, Ge
Qin, Junjie
author_facet Gu, Nan
Chen, Ge
Qin, Junjie
contents This paper investigates the role of flexible connection in accelerating the interconnection of large loads amid rising electricity demand from data centers and electrification. Flexible connection allows new loads to defer or curtail consumption during rare, grid-constrained periods, enabling faster access without major infrastructure upgrades. To quantify how flexible connection unlocks load hosting capacity, we formulate a flexibility-aware hosting capacity analysis problem that explicitly limits the number of utility-controlled interventions per year, ensuring infrequent disruption. Efficient solution methods are developed for this nonconvex problem and applied to real load data and test feeders. Empirical results reveal that modest flexibility, i.e., few interventions with small curtailments or delays, can unlock substantial hosting capacity. Theoretical analysis further explains and generalizes these findings, highlighting the broad potential of flexible connection.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_11476
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The Role of Flexible Connection in Accelerating Load Interconnection in Distribution Networks
Gu, Nan
Chen, Ge
Qin, Junjie
Systems and Control
This paper investigates the role of flexible connection in accelerating the interconnection of large loads amid rising electricity demand from data centers and electrification. Flexible connection allows new loads to defer or curtail consumption during rare, grid-constrained periods, enabling faster access without major infrastructure upgrades. To quantify how flexible connection unlocks load hosting capacity, we formulate a flexibility-aware hosting capacity analysis problem that explicitly limits the number of utility-controlled interventions per year, ensuring infrequent disruption. Efficient solution methods are developed for this nonconvex problem and applied to real load data and test feeders. Empirical results reveal that modest flexibility, i.e., few interventions with small curtailments or delays, can unlock substantial hosting capacity. Theoretical analysis further explains and generalizes these findings, highlighting the broad potential of flexible connection.
title The Role of Flexible Connection in Accelerating Load Interconnection in Distribution Networks
topic Systems and Control
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.11476