South ERCOT, Texas
An AI campus in development with on-site gas generation and storage, planned so halls energize without waiting on the interconnection queue.
Explore the Texas campus →Solutions · Power Infrastructure · Bridge to grid
Bridge to grid: energize now, interconnect later
Bridge to grid means your data center energizes on on-site power on day one while the utility interconnection proceeds in parallel. When the grid is ready it joins the campus switchgear as another source. Your halls see the same supply before and after, and the tenant changes nothing.
Updated
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1,200MW
Planned in Vietnam
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4
Site agreements in Vietnam
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10–50MW
Hyperscale block size
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3
Markets: Texas, Minnesota, Vietnam
Who it's for
Who bridge to grid is for
Bridge to grid is for customers who want grid power in the long run and cannot wait for it to start. It suits any project where the interconnection date is uncertain and the cluster date is fixed.
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Hyperscalers and AI labs
A fixed cluster date, with the long-term grid connection arriving on its own schedule.
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Neoclouds and GPU providers
Revenue that starts when halls energize, not when the utility finishes its study.
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Landowners and development partners
Sites where a grid connection is possible but without a confirmed date.
Own land or a powered site? Write to [email protected] or use the landowner route.
Timeline
Energize first, interconnect later
Two paths run in parallel. The on-site path builds generation and storage beside the halls and energizes them first. The grid path proceeds through the utility process and arrives when it arrives. The timeline below shows how they meet.
Diagram: on-site power first
Why
Why not wait for the grid
The utility decides the pace of an interconnection. Studies, upgrades and construction sit on its schedule. A project that waits for them makes its cluster date depend on someone else.
The generation side is described on on-site generation.
Diagram: queue vs on-site power
How we deliver
Bridge to grid in six steps
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Next
File the interconnection early
The campus team leads the interconnection process with the utility, so the grid path advances while the campus is built.
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Next
Build the on-site plant
Generation, storage and switchgear are built with the halls and sized to carry the full load.
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Next
Energize on site
Halls start on campus power, and your cluster begins work.
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Next
Prepare the grid tie
Switchgear is built with a reserved position for the utility connection.
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Next
Connect the grid
When the utility completes its work the connection joins the switchgear in a planned window.
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Next
Run with two sources
Operators balance on-site power and the grid for resilience and cost.
For the tenant
What changes for the tenant: nothing
The tenant sees one supply at the hall boundary. When the grid connects, the campus switchgear adds a source behind that boundary. Voltage, capacity and redundancy at your hall stay the same, and operations teams coordinate the switch ahead of time.
Before and after the grid connects
| Item | Before the grid | After the grid |
|---|---|---|
| Supply at your hall | Campus generation and storage | Campus sources plus the grid, same boundary |
| Capacity | As contracted | As contracted |
| Redundancy | N+X as agreed | N+X as agreed, with an extra source |
| Your action | None | None |
| Campus action | Operate the plant | Balance plant and grid |
Photo: Switchyard at night
Design basis
Design basis for a bridge
A bridge works because the campus is designed for it from the start. The grid arrives into a switchgear lineup that is already built to receive it.
Five design features that make a bridge work
- A reserved position in the switchgear for the utility connection.
- Protection and metering schemes that support both on-site and grid operation.
- Controls that coordinate generation, storage and grid import.
- A single point of connection to each hall, so tenants see no change.
- A commissioning plan for the day the grid joins.
Photo: South Texas ranchland
The grid path
How we manage the interconnection in parallel
The grid connection is a project of its own. PacinfraX opens the interconnection request when the campus project starts and keeps it moving through each utility stage while the plant is built. A dedicated owner tracks study milestones, upgrade scopes and the utility schedule, and reports the status to you in the same program review as construction.
Why the utility date no longer sets your schedule
Because the on-site plant carries the full load, the utility date no longer sits on your critical path. If the utility finishes early, the campus gains a second source sooner. If it takes longer, your cluster is already running.
Four interconnection milestones
- Request filed with the campus load and phasing.
- Study and upgrade milestones tracked in the program schedule.
- A switchgear position reserved so the tie can be installed in one planned window.
- A joint commissioning plan agreed with the utility ahead of the connection day.
Photo: Transmission towers
After the bridge
Two sources are better than one
Once the grid joins, the campus has two ways to power the halls. Operators can run on-site generation, the grid or both. The extra source adds resilience, gives the campus choices on how to balance cost and supply, and lets on-site plant move to backup duty where the design allows.
What happens if the grid is disturbed
If the grid is disturbed, the campus is designed to separate from it and keep the halls running on its own plant and storage. Once the grid is stable again, operators resynchronise in a planned sequence. Your team receives the status of each step, so you know which source is carrying your load at any time.
Photo: Gas engines hall
Where available
Bridge to grid where we build
The bridge model is planned into each campus from the start.
Where we build: Texas, Minnesota, Vietnam
Minnesota
Minnesota, powered industrial site.
Explore the Minnesota site →
Vietnam
1,200 MW planned across four sites. Nam Thang Binh, Da Nang leads with 200 MW and a 20 MW phase 1 targeted for 2026–2027.
Explore Vietnam sites →Next step
Start with your cluster date
Tell us your megawatts and the date your cluster must start. We reply with a plan for the on-site plant, the bridge and the schedule. See also power infrastructure, AI data centers and our Texas campus.
FAQ
Bridge to grid questions
What does bridge to grid mean?
It means the data center energizes on on-site power first and the utility connection is added later as another source.
Why not wait for the interconnection?
The utility sets that schedule. On-site power lets your cluster start on its own date while the grid connection proceeds.
Will my halls see a change when the grid joins?
No. The grid joins the campus switchgear behind your hall boundary, so voltage, capacity and redundancy stay the same.
Do I need to file the interconnection myself?
PacinfraX leads the interconnection process with the utility for the campus; your team files nothing.
4 more questions
Does on-site power stay after the grid arrives?
Yes. The plant stays as a second source, and operators balance it with the grid for resilience and cost.
Can the bridge be used without storage?
Storage is part of the standard design. It rides through source changes and smooths load, which supports a clean switch to the grid.
Which campuses use the bridge model?
The South ERCOT, Texas campus is an AI campus in development with on-site gas generation and storage.
How do I get started?
Send your megawatts, target date and preferred market through Request capacity, and we reply with a plan.
Request capacity
Request capacity with a bridge to the grid
Tell us how many megawatts you need, where and when. We come back with an on-site power plan, a grid bridge and a delivery schedule.
- An on-site plan that carries the full load
- A grid connection managed in parallel
- No change for your halls when the grid joins
Request capacity or write to [email protected].
One form, one team. Requests go through our contact page and reach the capacity team directly.
Request capacity