States, renewable developers back MISO’s accelerated interconnection queue plan

A regional grid operator covering much of the Midwest, called MISO, is trying to clear a long backlog of power plant and wind/solar projects waiting to connect to the grid — about 71 GW worth. State regulators and renewable energy developers have backed a plan to speed that up, filed with federal regulators this week. Without changes, the review process could be delayed another 18 months or more.

The plan changes how long projects can sit in the queue before facing penalties for dropping out, and raises the cost-increase threshold that lets a project exit without penalty from 35 percent to 50 percent. It also limits MISO to one final re-study per review cycle, instead of allowing repeated do-overs that have been dragging out timelines for everyone in line. Supporters, including state regulators and utilities like Ameren and Alliant Energy, say this will clear out stalled projects faster and bring more certainty to the process. One developer, Pathway Power, objected, arguing the changes shift financial risk onto remaining projects and were drafted with input from only a few large companies.

This is a grid-planning and regulatory story, not something that changes any rebate or program a homeowner can apply for. But faster interconnection reviews matter indirectly: they affect how quickly new wind, solar, and battery projects can come online and feed power to the grid, which can influence electricity supply and prices in states served by MISO over time.