MISO can’t predict the future, but it can make educated projections about what the electric system will look like in the coming years. To do that, MISO works with stakeholders to create forecasted scenarios which we call “Futures.”  

What Are They: Futures capture a range of potential system conditions over a 20-year planning horizon. The scenarios establish a bookended range of economic, policy, and possibilities such as load growth, carbon policy, and generation retirements. These forecasts hedge uncertainty by utilizing stakeholder information, policy direction, industry trends, and capacity expansion modeling.   

How Are They Used: Futures provide the foundation for MISO’s transmission planning – both local and regional. By representing multiple possibilities for future system growth, fuel availability, market conditions, and regulatory environments, the scenarios also inform State and member resource planning.  

Each Futures series consists of multiple scenarios. Work to create Series 1 began in 2019.  Because the grid continues to evolve at a rapid pace, it is critical to review and update these series over time.  

• Series 1 Futures (2021) laid the groundwork for LRTP Tranche 1 

• Series 1A Futures (2023) supported LRTP Tranche 2.1 

• Series 2 Futures are being developed in 2025 building on prior models and focusing on policy, load variability, and impacts of resource mix changes. The Series 2 Future will include four scenarios.  

Stay up to date on the development of these scenarios visiting the Futures workshops page.