Indiana’s Electric Grid Operator Issues Reliability Warning

Indianapolis, IN. – The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) recently released “MISO’s Response to the Reliability Imperative,” which is updated periodically to reflect changing conditions in the 15-state MISO region that extends through the middle of the U.S. MISO controls the electric generation and transmission assets within its region, including Indiana, and serves 45 million people. In the report, MISO warns reliability challenges have grown urgent as the nation’s power system grapples with a “hyper-complex risk environment.”

MISO CEO John Bear issued a lengthy statement in response to the report’s release. In his statement, Bear acknowledges that while wind and solar are crucial for producing clean energy, they lack specific reliability attributes necessary to keep a reliable grid. He notes that although emerging technologies may eventually change this, they are yet to be proven at grid scale. Furthermore, attempts to construct new dispatchable resources face challenges from government regulations and policies, as well as prevailing investment criteria for financing new energy projects. Until new technologies become viable, dispatchable resources will be necessary for reliability.

“As one of the largest manufacturing states, it is essential that Indiana has a reliable power supply to keep the factories running smoothly. The recent warning from MISO about maintaining a reliable electricity supply should concern every business leader, particularly when Indiana is trying to attract economic projects such as high energy user microchip plants and data centers,” said Jon Ford, President of Reliable Energy Indiana.

“Last month’s cold weather forced some of our state’s manufacturers to halt their production, as there wasn’t enough power to keep their operations running while also ensuring that homes were heated during times when Hoosiers needed it the most. We cannot afford to allow such consequences to occur by shutting down reliable baseload power. Our state deserves better,” Ford added.

View the Executive Summary of the MISO report here.

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