The electric grid is changing and it's changing fast. That’s creating a whole host of challenges. Challenges that can impact the reliable flow of power across our region.

This isn’t a new set of issues. MISO started talking about these challenges in 2020. That's when we issued the first Reliability Imperative report. MISO defines “Reliability Imperative” as the shared responsibility that MISO, its members, and states have to address the urgent and complex challenges facing the electric grid. We just issued our latest report. It's a must-read to understand the continued challenges we face, the continued need for urgent action, recent accomplishments, and our reliability-related work priorities moving forward.

Here’s the crux of the challenge – the fleet of generators in the MISO region is changing faster than anticipated. As a result, there is a looming mismatch on the horizon between the speed at which renewable generation (wind and solar) is coming online and conventional generation (coal and gas) is retiring. The challenge we face is ensuring we have the right mix of generators to keep power flowing 24/7/365. The Reliability Imperative report addresses this challenge plus six more factors impacting our reliability-readiness.

Talking about the Reliability Imperative is one thing. Finding and implementing solutions is another. Great progress has been made – thanks to the critical partnerships we have with our members, stakeholders, and states. You can read about our key accomplishments in the areas of transmission, markets, and operations. The report also defines our priorities going forward.

From MISO’s perspective, the reliability risks we face are accelerating. We must move faster. And with even more coordination. None of this work is easy. But working together, we can get it done. We have to. 45 million people living in the MISO region are counting on us to get it right. Read the report and join the conversation.