Utilities File Complaint to Address Federal Rules Delaying Transmission Projects by Up to 20 Months

The Grid Acceleration Coalition, representing the nation's electric utilities, has filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for an action to address outdated federal rules delaying critical transmission projects by up to 20 months, thus increasing costs for customers and threatening the nation's ability to meet a rising electricity demand.

In a complaint filed with FERC, the coalition, representing ITC Holdings, ATC, Ameren, Cleco, Entergy, The Empire District Electric Company, Evergy, OG&E, and Xcel Energy, has asked the Commission to provide targeted relief from Order No. 1000 solicitation requirements in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) and Southwest Power Pool (SPP) to expedite urgently required transmission projects. The coalition's complaint warned that delays to critical infrastructure will weaken affordability, slow the deployment of new generation and deteriorate the nation's ability to compete in emerging industries such as AI and advanced manufacturing, without any action.

"The evidence is clear: delays caused by the current transmission solicitation rules are now a material obstacle to delivering power as quickly as possible for data centers and other large new customers," said Michael Schnitzer, Partner at The NorthBridge Group. "These delays are imposing large, measurable economic costs – hundreds of millions of dollars per year – while providing no offsetting benefit that comes close to outweighing the economic harm caused by slower service."

The filing has requested FERC to suspend or exempt certain transmission projects from Order No. 1000's troublesome solicitation requirements in the MISO and SPP regions. Eliminating one year of delay will save customers $150 million to $370 million for every $1 billion in accelerated investment.

The coalition's complaint does not eliminate competition, but offers targeted, customer‑focused solutions. The proposed reforms in MISO and SPP are expected to exempt qualifying regional transmission projects from the Order No. 1000 solicitation process.

Any delay will extend the projects post schedule and slow the interconnection of new load or new generation. It also proposes an alternative solution to provide a temporary pause in solicitation requirements for regional transmission projects in the MISO and SPP regions.