The region’s grid operator, MISO, recently released its winter readiness assessment for the 2026-27 winter season, highlighting a sufficient capacity outlook and coordinated preparedness efforts to support reliable electric service across the region.
“Our region enters this winter season with sufficient capacity to meet forecasted demand, but reliability is never something we take for granted,” said Tim Aliff, MISO’s executive director of market operations. “Tighter reserve margins, steep evening ramp periods and the potential for large winter storms can create challenging operating conditions. That is why MISO and our member utilities continue to focus on preparedness, coordination and operational readiness to ensure we can respond effectively when extreme weather occurs.”
The region enters the winter season well-positioned to meet expected electricity demand. MISO’s annual Planning Resource Auction secured approximately 134.7 gigawatts (GW) of winter capacity offers, exceeding the projected winter peak demand of approximately 113.4 GW.
MISO and its member utilities, including Great River Energy, continue to strengthen operational readiness through seasonal assessments, winter preparedness drills and other training exercises. These activities help operators sharpen decision-making skills and enhance communication and coordination during complex reliability events.
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