It was a hot day and everyone was using a ton of power to stay cool. But it turns out some power plants were not working properly and there weren’t enough power lines to move available energy to where it was needed, so the whole system became overwhelmed and had to be shut down for some folks.
The Memorial Day outages made one thing clear: our grid isn’t keeping up with our needs.
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator, commonly known as MISO (pronounced MY-so), is a nonprofit organization that manages the flow of electricity across 15 states, including most of Louisiana.
Think of it like this: Transmission lines are like highways for power. MISO helps ensure we have enough highways, or transmission lines, to move electricity from where it’s generated to where it’s needed.
There are 7 regional transmission organizations across the country that perform similar functions as MISO. They exist for the express purpose of providing consumer focused planning — which utilities in their territories may not otherwise provide.
Here’s the catch: Louisiana sits in MISO’s southern region, known as MISO South, where transmission planning has lagged behind for years and our grid is outdated. This is the result of years of resistance from utilities like Entergy and Cleco, which have fought efforts to expand transmission and connect Louisiana to the broader regional grid. Why? Because more transmission means more options — and less control for utilities that profit from building and owning their own generation.
That lack of planning left us vulnerable during the May 25th blackout, when there was plenty of affordable power available in other parts of MISO, but no way to get that power here.
We tell our regulators to invest in transmission to create a system where electricity produced anywhere can be delivered quickly to the communities that need it most. And we push for efficient and renewable energy sources, not power plants that constantly need maintenance or suddenly shut down.
Our regulators at the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) and New Orleans City Council have the authority to require utilities to:
The LPSC and City Council have the power to prioritize grid planning to ensure that our grid works for everybody, not just profit seeking utilities.
MISO’s work can seem technical, but public engagement matters. You have a say in how our grid is planned and operated. Here are a few easy ways to get started:
The Memorial Day blackout was a wake-up call. Our grid didn’t fail because we lacked power — it failed because we lacked planning. That’s where public pressure comes in. By showing up, asking questions, and demanding transparency, we can ensure Louisiana’s grid works for the people — not just for the utilities that profit from it.
Check out some of our other resources on MISO and transmission:
Urge our regulators to ensure utilities are not delaying planning and making the investments we need to keep the lights on affordably.
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