North Dakota PSC Files Complaint with Feds Regarding Transmission Project Planning

(North Dakota Public Service Commission image)

(KNOX) – The North Dakota Public Service Commission (NDPSC) filed a complaint with four other states at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). State utility regulators from North Dakota, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Montana are challenging the metrics used to select projects for Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s (MISO’s) long-range transmission planning projects, known as “Tranche 2.1.”

“Transmission costs are rapidly becoming a large portion of utility customer bills, and their costs need to be carefully scrutinized,” said Commissioner Jill Kringstad, who holds the MISO liaison portfolio. “I recognize the importance of transmission infrastructure, but it must be a prudent investment that balances affordability with the long-term needs of the grid.”

Each year, MISO is required to develop a transmission expansion plan that identifies upgrades that need to be made in the electric transmission system in order to maintain reliability. In December 2024, MISO – the entity that manages the electric grid for much of the Midwest, including portions of North Dakota – unveiled a group of electric transmission upgrades consisting of 24 different projects with an estimated cost of nearly $22 billion. In the complaint filed with FERC, the NDPSC and other state regulators say the benefits calculations used for the projects are overstated and the costs are unjust and unreasonable to North Dakota utility customers.

“MISO has provided weak justification for these projects, but they will lead to massive cost increases for North Dakotans,” said Commission Chair Randy Christmann. “Overturning MISO’s decision will protect North Dakotan consumers from this egregious maneuver.”