MISO proposes $2.76B transmission investment in 2016 expansion plan
he MISO transmission investment proposal this year is largely in line with the previous two, according to data from the grid operator proposal, a process which so far has seen more than $26 billion approved since the 2003 iteration. The annual transmission planning process is aimed “maximiz[ing] the value of the transmission to our customers by minimizing the energy, capacity, and transmission costs,” MISO Regional Executive Priti Patel told Utility Dive last year.
Transmission development is notoriously difficult, and MISO has paired up with other grid operators to finagle new ways to build lines. As renewable energy development grows and climate regulations start emerging, grid operators are tasked with building infrastructure to accommodate the changing energy landscape. Last year, MISO partnered up with Southwest Power Pool to work on four transmission investments together, totaling $276 million in transmission construction.
