The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved a Transmission Security Agreement (TSA) between Illinois utility Commonwealth Edison and data center operator Tract to supply up to 1GW of power for a planned Tract data center in Morris, Illinois.

According to the companies, the capacity will be made available on an accelerated timeline, while also establishing a framework to ensure that large-load data centers cover the costs of the transmission upgrades needed to support the new data center.

The TSA includes several provisions to ensure this, including committed revenue contributions, minimum usage commitments, and shortfall payments for underperformance. The companies have said that these provisions are designed to “enable local energy companies to deliver the infrastructure needed to power innovation and economic growth while continuing to support reliability for all customers and insulating smaller customers from the costs associated with serving new large loads.”

The new TSA is tied to a Tract development located at the Morris Technology Park in Morris, Illinois. Tract announced the acquisition of a 343-acre land parcel on the plot in January, located off I-80 and Highway 6 in Morris. The site can reportedly support up to 1GW at full build-out across ~2.9 million sq ft (269,418 sqm) of data center capacity. Initial energization is targeted for June 2028, and a full 1GW load ramp is expected to be achieved by 2032.

“At ComEd, we are focused on meeting the needs of all customers, and that means ensuring that our grid can power data center developments that are bringing economic growth to northern Illinois, while also continuing to deliver reliable, affordable power to existing residents and businesses,” said ComEd president and CEO Gil Quiniones. “FERC’s recent approval of Transmission Security Agreements highlights the value of partnering with customers like Tract, who share our commitment to protecting ComEd customers from cost-shifting, while supporting responsible growth across northern Illinois.”

Colorado-based Tract was founded by former Cologix CEO Grant van Rooyen and describes itself as a company that acquires and develops ‘master-planned’ data center parks. The company aims to get sites zoned, powered, and shovel-ready for other companies to develop data centers on.

After launching in Nevada in 2023, Tract announced plans for large-scale campuses across Texas (x3), Virginia (x3), Arizona, Minnesota (x3), Iowa, and Utah. On its website, the company also lists planned developments in Illinois and has been pursuing a project in North Carolina.

The company said it now has more than 25GW of planned capacity and more than 25,000 acres of land under control across the country, including campuses exceeding 1,000 acres and 1GW in each of Arizona, Iowa, Nevada, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.