Multiple transmission owners have questioned the need behind a suggestion that MISO work more checks into its process for reviewing troubled transmission projects.

The $1.6 billion Joint Targeted Interconnection Queue transmission portfolio of SPP and MISO remains in play even though the Department of Energy has reneged on almost a half billion dollars in funding.

MISO is taking load updates and stakeholder suggestions as part of a pilot program to improve its long-term load forecasting.

MISO confirmed it will make a second bid to FERC to establish a temporary fast lane in its interconnection queue, this time limiting the process to 50 generation projects.

Groups of generation owners and developers have asked MISO to adopt a queue fast lane only as a last resort and employ a more limited process that involves scoring criteria to gain entry.

Stakeholders want MISO to develop a smaller, congestion-relieving transmission study after this year’s near-term congestion study focused on how best to sequence transmission outages needed for construction of long-range transmission projects.

MISO said it will design an expedited resource adequacy study process so generation projects in the interconnection queue that are needed for capacity sufficiency will get grid treatment sooner.

MISO members are mulling an advisory vote on whether to support the RTO’s $21.8 billion long-range transmission plan portfolio while tensions simmer over the necessity of the expansion.

MISO announced it will move forward on annual interconnection queue cap based on 50% of peak load for the year in question, this time removing exemptions for projects that regulators deem essential.

MISO is hesitant to grant a request from Michigan to give dispensations to distributed energy resources from its mandated affected studies that gauge transmission system impacts.