MISO DPP Process — Step by Step
1
Application
Submit via MISO's project registration portal. Queue number assigned. $10,000 deposit for large gen (≥10 MW). Application deadline varies by study group cycle.
MISO Tariff, Attachment X
2
DPP Stage 1
Thermal and short-circuit study. Identifies network upgrades at POI and nearby buses. 100-day window. Project-specific cost estimates for direct-assigned facilities.
BPM-015, Section 4.2
3
DPP Stage 2
Expanded power-flow study across study group. Identifies shared network upgrades. Cost allocation by injection shift factor (ISF) analysis. 100-day window.
BPM-015, Section 4.3
4
DPP Stage 3
Stability and short-circuit detailed studies. Final shared upgrade list confirmed. Projects may dispute cost allocations. MISO TAC oversight. Results binding on all group members.
BPM-015, Section 4.4
5
Interconnection Agreement
30-day execution window after Stage 3 results. Posts Transmission Security Deposit (TSD): $30/kW (wind), $25/kW (solar/storage). FERC GIA filing required.
MISO Tariff, Section 6.1
6
Construction & COD
Developer posts Construction Security (CS). TO builds shared upgrades per IA schedule. Developer builds gen lead. MISO issues Synchronization Study approval. Commercial operation begins.
MISO Tariff, Section 6.4
MISO Queue Reform & Policy
Study Model
Group Study (DPP Cycles)
MISO studies projects in groups (DPP cycles) rather than serial queue. Cycles open ~twice/year. DPP 2024: 860 projects (~175 GW). Largest MISO cycle on record. Group approach enables shared upgrade cost allocation.
MISO Queue Reform, 2022
FERC Compliance
Order 2023 Implementation
MISO filed compliance tariff December 2023. Readiness milestones implemented (M1–M5). Projects failing milestones forfeit security deposits proportionally. Rules effective January 2025 — first applied to DPP 2024 cycle.
FERC Order 2023, Docket RM22-14
Backlog Risk
MISO South Region
MISO South (LA/MS/AR) has 400+ projects awaiting DPP study results. Transmission buildout lagged generation additions in SE region. MVP expansion and LRTP Series 2 proposed to address structural underinvestment.
MISO LRTP Series 2, 2024
Proactive Transmission
MVP (Multi-Value Projects)
MISO's flagship proactive transmission model. $1.1B MVP set (2011) unlocked thousands of MW of wind in MISO North. Costs socialized across all load. New MVP set proposed 2025. Template for nationwide "portfolio" transmission planning.
MISO MTEP, Attachment FF
FERC & State Policy Context
MISO Planning
Emerging Energy Acceleration (EEA4)
MISO's planning study identifying 35–45 GW of new transmission needed by 2034. Driven by state RPS mandates in IL, MN, IA. EEA4 (2024) is fourth iteration — first to address SE region needs explicitly.
MISO EEA4 Study, 2024
Illinois
Climate & Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA)
100% clean electricity by 2050. Drives 11,000 MW offshore wind + 40 GW solar in MISO Central. Nuclear ZEC extension through 2032. Key demand-side driver for MISO queue growth in IL, WI, IN triangle.
IL P.A. 102-0662, 2021
Minnesota
100% Clean Electricity by 2040
MN legislation (HF7) enacted 2023 drives demand for MISO North wind. New transmission required over WI seam to reach load centers. Xcel Energy 60% wind target by 2030 — already 2,800+ MW contracted in MISO North queue.
MN HF7, 2023
Seam Project
MISO-SPP Joint Targeted IQ (JTIQ)
Joint study approved 5 new transmission projects ($1.08B) at MISO-SPP border. Enables 53 GW of additional wind/solar capacity. Projects include 345kV and 765kV upgrades in KS, OK, MO, IA border areas. Construction 2026–2028.
MISO-SPP JTIQ Study, 2022
DPP Cycle Timeline
Q2 2022
DPP 2022 Cycle Opens
395 projects (~90 GW) enter group study. First large-scale batch under reformed DPP framework.
Q1 2023
DPP 2022 Stage 1 Results
Average $52k/MW network upgrade cost estimate. MISO South projects averaging significantly higher at $140k/MW.
Q3 2023
DPP 2023 Opens
720 projects (~155 GW) — record applications. Solar+storage hybrid combinations dominate new entries.
Q1 2024
DPP 2022 Stage 3 Complete
Interconnection Agreements being executed through 2024. ~200 projects proceeding to construction phase.
Q4 2024
DPP 2024 Opens — FERC Order 2023 Live
860 projects (~175 GW) enter study. First DPP cycle where FERC Order 2023 readiness milestones apply. Projects must prove site control and permits to retain queue position.
Q2 2025
DPP 2023 Stage 3 Results Expected
Final cost allocations for 720-project cohort. Expected to trigger significant attrition in MISO South due to high shared upgrade costs.
2026
LRTP Series 2 Construction Begins
5 MISO Long Range Transmission Plan Series 2 projects begin construction. $3.2B in SE region upgrades to relieve MISO South bottlenecks. JTIQ upgrades at MISO-SPP border also commence.