The Grid Acceleration Coalition is urging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to move quickly to revise federal transmission solicitation requirements in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) and Southwest Power Pool (SPP), arguing the current process is delaying critical transmission projects, increasing customer costs and limiting the nation's ability to support economic growth and rising electricity demand.

In reply comments filed with FERC, the coalition said there is growing support for changing the rules from hyperscalers, organized labor, local economic development organizations and major industry groups.

"The record demonstrates strong support from organized labor, local economic development organizations, hyperscalers and major industry groups for unleashing local electric companies to build the grid infrastructure we need," said Purvi Patel, vice president of regulatory strategy for ITC Holdings Corp. and spokesperson for the coalition. "Meanwhile, others continue to defend the status quo even as the urgency of the situation continues to build."

According to the coalition, its filing shows that allowing local utilities to build transmission projects would accelerate project delivery and improve customer outcomes. It also contends that parties opposing its complaint did not challenge its data regarding delays and costs associated with the current solicitation process, while acknowledging that solicitations contribute to project delays.

"Federal solicitation rules are delaying the transmission backbone needed to connect customers, support new generation and keep America competitive on a global scale," Patel said. "The question is not whether delays exist—it is whether we act now to fix them and deliver results for customers."

In its reply comments, the coalition challenged arguments from supporters of the current federal solicitation requirements, including claims that competitive solicitations reduce costs. The coalition argued those claims rely on winning bid prices rather than final project costs, noting that completed costs can exceed initial bids.

The filing also maintained that opponents failed to address what the coalition called the primary source of delays: the 16- to 20-month period required to select a transmission developer. According to the coalition, this front-end process in MISO and SPP creates a bottleneck before construction can begin.

The coalition also disputed a report from the R Street Institute, which supports the existing solicitation framework.

According to the coalition, the report relied on a limited sample size, including a single completed competitive transmission project in MISO, Duff-Coleman, and four completed or near-completed competitive projects in SPP compared with 13 incumbent-developed projects.

The coalition further argued that the report used inconsistent project timing baselines, comparing directly assigned projects from the time they were first identified in planning studies while measuring solicited projects beginning at board approval. The coalition said applying consistent timing shows directly assigned projects are completed more quickly.

The coalition also said the need for additional transmission has become more urgent since it filed its complaint, citing increasing electricity demand from AI and data centers. It said public and private analyses indicate that transmission capacity and grid interconnection constraints are becoming limiting factors as utilities work to connect large new loads while maintaining affordability and reliability.

According to the coalition, every month spent in the solicitation process delays the transmission capacity needed to connect new load, integrate new generation, reduce congestion and strengthen grid reliability.

The Grid Acceleration Coalition is an alliance of leading U.S. electric utilities—including ITC Holdings, Ameren, and Xcel Energy—focused on fast-tracking critical electric transmission infrastructure. Formed to address surging power demands from data centers and advanced manufacturing, the coalition is actively lobbying federal regulators to eliminate regulatory red tape that delays energy projects.