MISO proposes a fast-track large-load interconnection study process, reducing timeline to 120 days for loads exceeding 200MW in the same local resource zone.
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator on October 2, 2026, asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to approve a fast-track review process for large loads and the generation projects that would supply them. The proposed 120-day Large Load Addition Resource Study (LARS) process would apply to loads larger than 200 MW and generation facilities within the same local resource zone—of which there are ten across MISO's footprint, generally aligning with state boundaries. MISO requested that FERC issue a decision by December 2 to enable the grid operator to open the first study period early next year.
Like other grid operators, MISO's demand forecasts are driven by potential data center and manufacturing facility additions. The grid operator projects load growth of 1 to 3 percent annually through 2044. The LARS proposal responds partly to a mid-June FERC finding that MISO's rules related to large loads are inadequate, particularly for integrating "proximate" loads and generation onto the grid.
Under the proposal, MISO will accept up to ten LARS applications during three annual study periods. Applicants must meet various requirements, including non-refundable deposits, designed to filter out speculative projects. The commercial operation date for the generating facility and the in-service date for the associated large load must fall within three years of the LARS application submission. The load may begin receiving service in phases but must start service for the full amount of transmission service requested by the time the generating facility begins operating. Under certain conditions, a load may be served by multiple generating facilities. The proposal requires that generation and load remain paired for at least fifteen years.
MISO contends that running parallel large load and generation interconnection studies will yield more efficient network upgrade solutions. "The goal of LARS is not necessarily to find the lowest cost solution for either the load or generation but to identify the solution that best fits both the generation and load needs at the lowest cost," the grid operator stated, adding that it expects LARS to produce more cost-effective and grid-efficient outcomes overall. The LARS process will evaluate proposed projects to the same standards as MISO's other interconnection processes and will not affect generating projects already in MISO's standard generation interconnection queue.