Washington, DC –The Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition (ETCC) urges the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to reject a complaint filed today by incumbent utilities in MISO and SPP seeking a five-year moratorium that would prohibit utilities from competing with one another to build transmission projects, increasing ratepayer electricity prices in 18 states. Without competition, a monopoly incumbent utility has zero incentive to reduce costs because the more they spend the more their profits increase. The complaint is inconsistent with President Trump’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge[1], a pledge that consumers do not pay higher rates due to data center expansion and his Executive Order “Reducing Anti-Competitive Regulatory Barriers,”[2] ETCC will urge the US Department of Justice to review the complaint.    

The electric utilities that filed the complaint and are against ratepayer protections include: International Transmission Co; Michigan Electric Transmission Co; ITC Midwest; ITC Great Plains; Ameren Services; American Transmission Co; Cleco Power LLC; Entergy; Evergy Inc; Oklahoma Gas & Electric: Empire District Electric Company; and Xcel Energy.    

Transmission competition in MISO and SPP has historically enhanced cost, schedule discipline and accountability, while non-competitive projects have not. For example, six near-term SPP competitive projects reduced costs on average by 21 percent and eight MISO projects 38 percent.[3] Despite this, most projects were not competitively bid. Halting competition, even temporarily, would deprive ratepayers of the cost and schedule protections built into the competitive selection process, without providing any offsetting or meaningful benefits. 

Importantly, the complaint rests on the false premise that competition delays transmission development – a premise unsupported by the record. In fact, recent SPP competitive projects placed in service in 2025 (Minco and Wolf Creek) show a track record of meeting the needed and/or expected in-service date, with a third (Crossroads-Hobbs-Roadrunner) on schedule for delivery next month. History also shows non-competitive projects in MISO and SPP are not built more quickly. Thus, contrary to the complaint, winning the AI race require implementing competition and enforcing Order 1000.

Paul Cicio, Chair of the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition, said:

“The complaint is tone deaf to the electricity affordability crisis facing Americans. Suspending competition for five years in MISO and SPP would expose consumers in these regions to unchecked cost escalation for years, guaranteeing higher utility bills. MISO and SPP competitive transmission projects have been shown to have a better track record of adhering to cost containment and completion schedules than non-competitive projects. A moratorium would move us backward at precisely the wrong time.”

About the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition

ETCC is a broad-based, nation-wide coalition committed to increasing competition in America’s electricity transmission infrastructure. We advocate for common-sense policies and solutions that result in competitively priced transmission projects, which reduce energy costs for all ratepayers – from large manufacturers to residential consumers. The ETCC represents a diverse group of 95 companies and organizations from all 50 states, including manufacturing groups, retail electric consumers, state consumer advocates, think tanks, and non-incumbent transmission developers.

For more information, visit: www.electricitytransmissioncompetitioncoalition.org.

Press Contact:

Ginger Felberg

Gfelberg@signaldc.com