Midwest grid operators submit $1.7 billion plan to build cross-border power lines
The two grid operators providing power to the Midwestern U.S. are proposing to build $ 1.7 billion worth of new transmission lines to bridge the “seam” between their networks. The move could unlock huge amounts of clean power and potentially serve as a template that other parts of the country can follow to build more of the power lines the U.S. needs to meet its clean energy goals.
Last week, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) and Southwest Power Pool (SPP) filed plans with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) seeking permission to undertake what SPP’s filing describes as “an unprecedented, innovative, and proactive collaboration” between the two grid operators.
The so-called Joint Targeted Interconnection Queue (JTIQ) process has been in the works since 2020, when MISO and SPP pledged to team up to identify transmission projects that could bring value to customers along the border separating the two …