A coalition of clean energy organizations is urging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to deny a proposal by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). The proposal would permit power plant owners to interconnect replacement generators at locations different from the retiring generator’s original site. The coalition argues this change unfairly advantages certain projects, effectively allowing them to “jump the queue” in the interconnection process. They contend the proposal creates an unjust and discriminatory interconnection process, diverging from established FERC regulations.

The clean energy groups—including the American Clean Power Association, the Solar Energy Industries Association, Advanced Energy United, and Clean Grid Alliance—assert the MISO proposal doesn’t enhance efficiency. Instead, it prioritizes some projects over others already waiting in the interconnection queue, potentially increasing network upgrade costs for other customers and hindering projects with existing interconnection agreements. They highlight that a shifting interconnection point risks treating the replacement generator as a new interconnection request, bypassing necessary transmission system impact studies.

Several utilities, including Alliant and the Lansing, Michigan, Board of Water and Light, have voiced a different perspective. They state the current MISO process restricts replacement generators from connecting at electrically equivalent points that optimize transmission system support. They believe the proposal could benefit various resource types by enabling optimal placement of interconnection points. MISO itself has characterized its generator replacement process as a crucial tool for managing power plant retirements, approving approximately 5.9 GW in requests and currently evaluating an additional 4.9 GW.