RTO Insider Daily Headlines: September 24, 2026

RTO Insider Daily Headlines for September 24, 2026. In this episode: • MISO Nominates Intel Expert to Board of Directors (RTO Insider) The MISO Board of Directors is likely to have a new member beginning in 2027, one with cybersecurity and government intelligence experience. https://www.rtoinsider.com/145304-miso-nominates-intel-expert-board-of-directors/ • NERC Approves MISO’s Move to SERC as Primary Reliability Corp. (RTO Insider) MISO announced NERC has approved its request for SERC Reliability to serve as its new main regional entity, replacing a 10-year relationship with ReliabilityFirst. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146433-nerc-approves-miso-move-to-serc-primary-reliability-corp/ • FERC Commissioners Trade Concurrences on $1 Collateral from Data Center (RTO Insider) FERC declined to weigh in on a contract dispute, outside of several concurrences that argued for clearer terms on deals between utilities and large loads and to highlight the paucity of a $1 letter of credit. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146251-ferc-commissioners-trade-concurrences-collateral-data-center/ • Campbell Decision Clouds New DOE Must-run Orders for Indiana Coal Plants (RTO Insider) The U.S. Department of Energy issued fresh orders to again delay the scheduled closures of two Indiana coal plants as questions swirl over their legality. https://www.rtoinsider.com/145347-campbell-uncertainty-clouds-doe-must-run-orders-indiana-coal-plants/ • Heinrich Proposes Tax Credits for Upgraded Tx (RTO Insider) Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced a bill that would offer a 30% investment tax credit to transmission projects that upgrade their capacity using advanced conductors. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146253-heinrich-proposes-tax-credits-upgraded-transmission/ • N.Y. Awards 8 Storage, 13 Renewable Energy Contracts (RTO Insider) The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority announced the state has contracted new storage and renewable energy projects with a combined capacity of 1.7 GW. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146426-new-york-procures-renewable-energy-storage-contracts/ • Independence is a Lousy Principle of Governance for ISOs (RTO Insider commentary) The West seeks to inject independence into its regime so participants can be confident market outcomes are not beholden to the interests of California. In contrast, stakeholders in the East are pushing to make an independent PJM more responsive, nimble and accountable to a large and complex variety of interests, writes energy consultant Vincent Duane. https://www.rtoinsider.com/145258-independence-is-a-lousy-principle-of-governance/ • New Data Center Power Metric Could Guide Flexibility, Aurora Says (RTO Insider) Researchers at Aurora Energy hope their metric for measuring the value a data center obtains from consuming electricity could result in more targeted tools to avoid burdening existing customers with higher costs. https://www.rtoinsider.com/143207-new-data-center-power-metric-could-guide-flexibility-aurora-says/ • Western Natural Gas Prices near Record Low in Q1 2026 (RTO Insider) Natural gas prices decreased almost 50% in some parts of the West in Q1 2026 compared to Q1 2025, a report by CAISO’s Department of Market Monitoring found. https://www.rtoinsider.com/145353-natural-gas-prices-near-record-low-q1-2026-in-west/ • SERC Speakers Outline Issues Involving Large Loads (RTO Insider) Speakers at a SERC Reliability Board of Directors meeting discussed issues involving large loads, including NERC's plans for standards development. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146159-serc-speakers-outline-issues-large-loads/ • IESO Defends Import Guarantee Changes as Traders Warn of Higher Costs (RTO Insider) IESO is sticking with its late January 2027 timetable for restricting import guarantees and rejecting calls for a delay. Traders warn the changes could discourage imports and raise Ontario’s wholesale power costs. https://www.rtoinsider.com/145330-market-design-tension-ieso-defends-import-guarantee-changes/ • BPA Markets Discussion Pits Design Against Fundamentals (RTO Insider) In a letter to the Regional Organization for Western Energy, BPA Administrator Travis Kavulla made clear the agency intended to review its previous record of decision to join SPP’s Markets+ rather than CAISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146161-bpa-markets-discussion-pits-design-against-fundamentals/ • Abbott Tightens Pause on ERCOT Data Center Interconnections (RTO Insider) Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has further tightened his de facto moratorium on data center interconnections with the ERCOT grid. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146155-abbott-puts-halt-more-approvals-large-loads/ Chapters: 00:07 Introduction 00:14 MISO Nominates Intel Expert to Board of Directors 00:26 NERC Approves MISO’s Move to SERC as Primary Reliability Corp. 00:42 FERC Commissioners Trade Concurrences on $1 Collateral from Data Center 00:58 Campbell Decision Clouds New DOE Must-run Orders for Indiana Coal Plants 01:13 Heinrich Proposes Tax Credits for Upgraded Tx 01:28 N.Y. Awards 8 Storage, 13 Renewable Energy Contracts 01:43 Commentary: Independence is a Lousy Principle of Governance for ISOs 02:07 New Data Center Power Metric Could Guide Flexibility, Aurora Says 02:24 Western Natural Gas Prices near Record Low in Q1 2026 02:41 SERC Speakers Outline Issues Involving Large Loads 02:54 IESO Defends Import Guarantee Changes as Traders Warn of Higher Costs 03:12 BPA Markets Discussion Pits Design Against Fundamentals 03:31 Abbott Tightens Pause on ERCOT Data Center Interconnections 03:42 Subscribe Read these stories and more at W-W-W dot R-T-O Insider dot com. Music provided by BreakzStudios.