MISO’s Planning Advisory Committee (PAC) met November 19 to evaluate ongoing Long-Range Transmission Planning (LRTP) progress, refine 2026 model development, assess queue alignment and process reforms, and discuss economic planning priorities. As the MISO system evolves rapidly with rising load, broader electrification trends, and accelerating renewable adoption, PAC continues to play a central role in shaping long-term grid strategy and ensuring that transmission planning stays ahead of emerging reliability and policy challenges.
The November session also reflected growing stakeholder interest in how LRTP, interconnection studies, and market-efficiency analyses increasingly intersect—driving complex decisions about congestion relief, transfer capability, and the feasibility of future resource additions. Below is an expanded breakdown of the November MISO PAC meeting covering key topics and discussions.
Long-Range Transmission Planning (LRTP) Tranche Progress & Regional Needs
The MISO PAC meeting began with a detailed and highly technical update on the status of LRTP projects, reflecting how central the LRTP portfolio has become in defining future system architecture. MISO emphasized that each tranche is designed to build sequentially on the last and directly respond to evolving system needs tied to renewable penetration, regional transfer constraints, and large-load growth.
Tranche 1: Several approved projects have now advanced into permitting, procurement, and early construction stages across multiple states. TOs reported persistent supply chain challenges, particularly long lead times for 345-kV and 500-kV transformers, high-capacity steel structures, and series-compensation components. MISO also highlighted workforce availability pressures, noting that transmission construction labor constraints may affect staged project timing.
Tranche 2: Updated reliability, economic, and production-cost modeling reaffirmed the need for meaningful east-to-west transfer improvements, especially under high-wind and high-solar conditions. MISO emphasized that renewable clustering in MISO North and Central significantly increases congestion exposure, reinforcing the justification for several large-scale reinforcements.
Tranche 3 & 4: Early conceptual planning for out-year tranches points toward the need for longer-distance, high-capacity corridors—potentially including HVDC backbones—to support anticipated 2040–2050 renewable penetrations, growing electrification loads, and increasing interregional dependencies with SPP, PJM, and the Canadian provinces.
Stakeholders engaged in robust discussion around cost allocation, project timing, and how LRTP efforts intersect with interconnection-driven upgrades. Several members requested transparency on when upgrades categorized as interconnection-driven may be better suited for LRTP classification, noting the significant financial implications for developers and TOs.
Queue Alignment & Interconnection Coordination
The November MISO PAC meeting also reviewed queue-related workflow improvements covering affected-system studies, modeling harmonization, and cluster-timing predictability.
Highlights included:
- Affected-System Studies: MISO outlined improved coordination structures with SPP, PJM, ERCOT, and TVA to reduce bottlenecks that historically delayed GI studies by 12–24 months.
- Modeling Harmonization: IBR model inconsistencies continue to challenge queue progress. Stability models, in particular, remain a point of friction.
- Cluster-Timing Predictability: MISO indicated it expects a more predictable cluster schedule in 2026, with fewer “sliding windows.”
Developers requested improved transparency around model-validation checkpoints and preliminary study results to enhance financial planning predictability.
Economic Planning & 2026 Market Efficiency Studies (MES)
Additionally, the MISO PAC meeting covered extensive updates on the 2026 Market Efficiency Studies (MES), noting:
- Congestion Trends: Persistent congestion across MISO Midwest driven by renewable clusters in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
- Production Cost Modeling: MISO walked through its base case and sensitivity assumptions for market efficiency analysis.
- Transmission Alternatives: Early candidate solutions include 345-kV expansions, reconductoring, HVDC tie upgrades, and dynamic line ratings.
Several stakeholders requested clearer documentation on how the 2026 Market Efficiency Studies (MES) interacts with LRTP and interconnection-driven upgrades.
Model Development for 2026 Planning
MISO PAC reviewed the suite of models under development:
- Power Flow Models: Updates reflect generator retirements, COD shifts, and new queue additions.
- Short-Circuit Models: Several TOs flagged inconsistencies in fault levels and model accuracy.
- Dynamic Models: Clean-up continues for solar, storage, and hybrid facilities.
- Load Forecasts: Electrification, data center load, and industrial expansions contribute to rising long-term forecasts.
PAC noted that modeling transparency is a central theme for developers seeking to forecast upgrade risk and interconnection costs in 2026 and beyond.
Navigate MISO’s LRTP, MES, and Interconnection Environment
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Explore more on MISO’s LRTP, 2026 Market Efficiency Studies (MES), queue alignment, and interconnection here.
