MISO: Midwest & South Grid
Midcontinent Independent System Operator. Covering 15 states from the Gulf Coast to Canada.
About MISO
MISO operates the grid from Manitoba to Louisiana, serving 15 U.S. states and one Canadian province. The region has the fastest data center growth rate in the US — 43% compound annual growth since 2020 (FERC, 2026). Coal plant retirements are outpacing new additions. MISO's March 2026 Reliability Imperative report declared demand from data centers and electrification is outrunning supply. Some zones cleared at $720/MW-day in the 2024 capacity auction.
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Long-Range Transmission Planning (LRTP)
MISO's $10B+ transmission portfolio includes Tranche 1 (18 projects approved) and Tranche 2 under development. These lines will unlock wind and solar across the upper Midwest and resolve North-South transfer constraints.
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Capacity Shortfall Risks
MISO's March 2026 "Reliability Imperative" report declared demand is outstripping supply. MISO identified a 5 GW capacity deficit for 2026/27 and launched ERAS Cycle 3 on March 10, fast-tracking 8 GW of new generation — mostly natural gas — into the interconnection queue. $32 billion in MISO transmission upgrades have been approved since 2022. MISO expects 13.1 GW of expedited transmission requests driven by data center load growth in 2026 alone.
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Renewable Integration
Iowa and Minnesota lead the nation in wind penetration. MISO is managing increasing variable generation while maintaining reliability, which is pushing changes in forecasting and market design.
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Interconnection Queue
171 GW is waiting to connect, mostly wind, solar, and battery storage. MISO reformed its queue process, but backlogs remain and study timelines still stretch 3-5 years.
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Data Center Growth
MISO had the fastest data center growth rate of any US grid region — 43% compound annual growth since 2020 per FERC's March 2026 State of Markets report. The average DC size has grown from 25 MW (2020) to nearly 80 MW (2025 builds). Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa are the primary growth corridors. Indiana alone saw 9 counties enact moratoriums or bans in four months — the largest coordinated opposition wave in the country.