Yesterday the electric grid operator for the Midwest, MISO, approved a plan for 24 transmission line projects known as Tranche 2.1, which covers eleven states including Wisconsin. The plan will support at least 6.6 gigawatts (GW) of homegrown Wisconsin wind and solar power—more than double the amount of clean energy we currently produce. All projects will require approval from state regulatory agencies.
“Wisconsin is moving from relying on dangerous, expensive coal and gas power plants to clean solar, wind, and batteries. More transmission lines directly enable a clean electricity future that is reliable and affordable,” says Ciaran Gallagher, energy and air manager for Clean Wisconsin. “These lines are vital to support the clean energy projects that are increasingly powering Wisconsin’s economy. Without this investment, we’ll end up with more harmful coal and gas, higher energy bills, and a greater risk of power outages.”
Six of the transmission projects will be located entirely or partially in Wisconsin. MISO estimates that for every dollar spent on these projects in our state, there will be $2.20 to $5.40 in benefits. These benefits include increased reliability, reduced risks from extreme weather, and access to inexpensive energy coming from wind farms in Minnesota and the Dakotas. The projects will also bring an estimated 24,000 total construction and local jobs to Wisconsin as well as a total economic output of $4.5 billion.
In addition to the benefits that will be widespread across the Midwest, state law in Wisconsin requires significant direct payments from transmission companies to communities that host the projects. “The payments boost municipal budgets and help provide critical services for rural communities hosting these projects – paying for road repairs, broadband, testing for contaminated well water, and more,” adds Gallagher.
Once completed, the Tranche 2.1 plan would be the largest regional grid update in U.S. history.
“Long-term planning for transmission needs of the future has been recognized as both challenging and essential. MISO is the only grid operator in the country to have completed that process – not just once, but now twice,” says Gallagher. “Clean Wisconsin was an active stakeholder during the two-year planning process to ensure that the scale of the portfolio matches the need required by the clean energy transition.”
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) is the electric grid operator for the central United States, ensuring power flows across 15 states including Wisconsin. The entire Tranche 2.1 portfolio approved by MISO’s Board today is projected to cost $28.6 billion to build but will provide $50 to $100 billion in benefits in just the first 20 years of the projects’ 60-year lifespans. MISO estimates that together these lines will enable 116 GW of new generation, nearly meeting the current summertime peak load of MISO’s entire territory.
