RTO Insider Daily Headlines: September 18, 2026

RTO Insider Daily Headlines for September 18, 2026. In this episode: • House Passes Ratepayer Protection Act ahead of Midterm Elections (RTO Insider) The House passed the Ratepayer Protection Act to encourage state adoption of large load tariffs for data centers and a few other pieces of electric legislation ahead of a long-break that runs through the midterm elections this November. https://www.rtoinsider.com/143739-house-passes-ratepayer-protection-act-other-energy-bills/ • NERC Standards Committee Prepares for Elections (ERO Insider) NERC’s Standards Committee will hold its planned membership elections and keep its regular meeting schedule as plans proceed for its replacement, NERC staff told members at their monthly open meeting. https://www.rtoinsider.com/143743-nerc-standards-committee-prepares-elections/ • NV Energy Commits to Join EDAM in 2028 (RTO Insider) NV Energy will be the ninth entity to join CAISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market as the utility tries to continue to benefit from a Western regional market. https://www.rtoinsider.com/144161-nv-energy-commits-edam-2028/ • How Realistic are Statewide Data Center Bans in the West? (RTO Insider) State lawmakers and gubernatorial candidates across the West are vowing to approve statewide data center bans in upcoming legislative sessions starting in January 2027. https://www.rtoinsider.com/144069-how-realistic-statewide-data-center-bans-in-the-west/ • America Doesn't Have a Data Center Problem: It's an Electricity Architecture Problem (RTO Insider commentary) America is building a new industrial economy with an electricity system designed for an earlier age. Some new customers are so different from traditional customers, that treating them as merely “big small loads” no longer makes sense. https://www.rtoinsider.com/143245-america-doesnt-have-data-center-problem-its-electricity-architecture-problem/ • MISO Lowers Customer Experience Survey Goals, Cites On-edge Industry (RTO Insider) MISO is moving the goalposts and creating a new definition of “excellent” in its customer experience survey as it’s forced to implement more drastic measures to maintain reliability that could be unpopular with certain stakeholders. https://www.rtoinsider.com/144183-miso-lowers-customer-experience-survey-goals/ • Regulators Confront AI Data Center Threats to Grid Operations (RTO Insider commentary) People who run much of the nation's power grid are urgently plying human intelligence the risk that AI data factories reacting to relatively small grid disturbances could cause potentially fatal wide-area blackouts. https://www.rtoinsider.com/144052-regulators-confront-ai-data-center-threats-to-grid-operations/ • PowerLines Releases Utility Affordability Guidebook for Governors (RTO Insider) PowerLines has released a policy guide for governors ahead of November’s elections that offers strategic levers, pathways and communications strategies to make electricity more affordable. https://www.rtoinsider.com/144154-powerlines-releases-playbook-governors-electricity-affordability/ • MISO Powers Through ‘Hot, Hot, Hot’ Summer; IMM Decries Max Gen Reprice (RTO Insider) The Independent Market Monitor said MISO’s repricing of several hours a summertime emergency brought on by one of many heatwaves in the 2026 season eroded faith in MISO’s markets. https://www.rtoinsider.com/144181-miso-powers-through-heat-summer-imm-decries-max-gen-reprice/ • ERCOT CEO’s Compensation Package Put on Hold (RTO Insider) A top Texas lawmaker has intervened in the ERCOT board's approval of a five-year contract extension for CEO Pablo Vegas, saying now is not the time to hand out a multimillion-dollar pay raise "on the backs of ratepayers." https://www.rtoinsider.com/144076-ercot-ceos-compensation-package-put-on-hold/ Chapters: 00:07 Introduction 00:14 House Passes Ratepayer Protection Act ahead of Midterm Elections 00:30 NERC Standards Committee Prepares for Elections 00:44 NV Energy Commits to Join EDAM in 2028 00:56 How Realistic are Statewide Data Center Bans in the West? 01:11 Commentary: America Doesn't Have a Data Center Problem: It's an Electricity Architecture Problem 01:30 MISO Lowers Customer Experience Survey Goals, Cites On-edge Industry 01:48 Commentary: Regulators Confront AI Data Center Threats to Grid Operations 02:05 PowerLines Releases Utility Affordability Guidebook for Governors 02:20 MISO Powers Through ‘Hot, Hot, Hot’ Summer; IMM Decries Max Gen Reprice 02:37 ERCOT CEO’s Compensation Package Put on Hold 02:54 Subscribe Read these stories and more at W-W-W dot R-T-O Insider dot com. Music provided by BreakzStudios.