MISO and PJM are assessing the need for an interregional study and transmission plan later this year, staffs told stakeholders during Thursday’s Interregional Planning Stakeholder Advisory Committee (IPSAC) teleconference.

MISO engineer Ben Stearney said the RTOs are reviewing data and will announce within 45 days whether they see a need for an interregional study.

The grid operators late last year compiled and exchanged data on historical market-to-market congestion, regional issues, and newly approved projects near the seam. They said they will review their most highly congested transmission elements and possible mitigations and might pursue a “full or limited” targeted market efficiency project (TMEP) study this year.

Staff said they’re also considering conducting a more specific analysis into the planning impacts of Illinois’ Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, which targets 100% clean energy in the state by 2050.

For the past two years, MISO and PJM have decided against both the more involved coordinated system plan and a TMEP study, which produces smaller, congestion-relieving seams projects.

Days before the latest MISO-PJM IPSAC meeting, MISO and SPP announced they would conduct a TMEP-style study this year on some of their more heavily used flowgates. (See MISO, SPP Take on 2nd Interregional Planning Effort.)

MISO isn’t obligated to conduct an interregional study once every two years on its PJM seam, as it does with SPP. However, MISO and PJM have approved three small TMEP portfolios since 2017 and one larger interregional market efficiency project in northwest Indiana in 2020.

MISO’s and PJM’s TMEPs must cost less than $20 million, completely cover installed capital costs within four years of service, and be in service by the third summer peak from its approval. The projects are assessed using a shorter time horizon than interregional market efficiency projects.