Core Scientific Wins Conditional ERCOT Approval for Up to 1,402 MW Across Texas Data Centers

Core Scientific (NASDAQ: CORZ) has received conditional approvals from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas covering up to 1,402 megawatts of electrical power capacity across its data center sites in Denton, Pecos, and Hunt, Texas. The approvals, disclosed on September 10, 2026, fall under ERCOT's Batch Zero classification process, which has granted similar conditional status to a group of former bitcoin miners now pivoting to AI infrastructure. Shares rose 3.28% on Friday, September 11, 2026, while the S&P 500 gained 0.85%.

ERCOT Batch Zero Approvals

• Core Scientific received conditional ERCOT approvals covering up to 1,402 MW of electrical capacity across three Texas sites: Denton, Pecos, and Hunt.
• The Denton site and the majority of the Hunt and Pecos capacity received base-load treatment under ERCOT's Batch Zero process.
• An additional 300 MW at the Pecos site remains subject to ERCOT's separate allocation process, meaning that tranche is not yet fully resolved.
• Core Scientific is among a group of former bitcoin miners, including IREN, Hut 8, Cipher Digital, CleanSpark, Galaxy Digital, Soluna, and Ionic Digital, that received Batch Zero classifications for either base load, studied load, or both.

Why It Matters

ERCOT's Batch Zero process is a key gating step for large power consumers seeking grid interconnection in Texas. Receiving base-load treatment for the majority of its capacity means Core Scientific's Denton, Hunt, and most of its Pecos footprint can proceed toward operational status without waiting in the longer studied-load queue. The 300 MW at Pecos that remains in the allocation process introduces some uncertainty on the timeline for that tranche, but the bulk of the 1,402 MW portfolio has cleared a critical regulatory checkpoint.

The approvals position Core Scientific alongside several peers that have similarly converted former bitcoin mining infrastructure into high-density data center capacity intended for AI workloads. Securing reliable, large-scale power in Texas is a prerequisite for signing hyperscaler or colocation contracts at these facilities, making the ERCOT conditional approval a foundational step in the company's infrastructure strategy.

Wall Street View

Wall Street's stance on Core Scientific remains constructive. As of the September 2026 consensus, the stock carried 7 Strong Buy and 16 Buy recommendations against 3 Hold ratings, with no Sell or Strong Sell calls on record.

Investor Takeaway

The conditional ERCOT approvals are a meaningful operational milestone, removing a significant regulatory uncertainty for the majority of Core Scientific's Texas power portfolio. The outstanding 300 MW at Pecos under ERCOT's allocation process is the remaining variable investors should monitor, as its resolution will determine whether Core Scientific can fully activate its stated 1,402 MW capacity pipeline on its intended schedule.