The Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s (MISO) board has approved a $21.9 billion long-range transmission plan. The new transmission lines will span 1,800 miles and include some that will connect directly to PJM Interconnection’s 765kV system in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.
“The main thing we want is getting these transmission projects in service … Our biggest concern is the longer that uncertainty is out there, the longer it potentially prevents projects from getting in service,” said Jeremiah Doner, director of cost allocation and competitive transmission at MISO.
If state regulators approve the plan, MISO anticipates that the projects will come online from 2032 through 2034. MISO expects that the new transmission infrastructure will facilitate the deployment of large load additions and attract new data center customers to the region. For example, Minnesota and North Dakota are expected to see an additional 4GW of demand from data centers by 2044.
