MISO has proposed a new interconnection pathway for co-located loads, in line with its projected data center buildout. The Large Load Addition Resource Study (LARS) would study loads of 250 MW or more and their contracted generation. If FERC approves MISO's filing, the proposal would take effect on October 18, 2026 with interconnection agreements issued in 2027.

The pathway delivers transmission approval and a Generator Interconnection Agreement (GIA) in 120 days. That compares with 180 days or more under today's sequential studies. MISO based the draft generation-study language on the existing ERAS provisions, and the same structural exclusion carries over. Entry requires a firm offtake agreement with the load and 100% site control.

The fees are the highest in MISO's interconnection tariff, at $15.7 million upfront for a 500 MW project. That is 3.6 times the entry cost of the standard Definitive Planning Phase (DPP) queue.

Key takeaways

• LARS would run load and generation studies in parallel, cutting approval from 180+ days to 120. Three cycles run per year, capped at 10 load-generation pairs each.
• Entry costs $15.7 million upfront for a 500 MW project, 3.6 times the DPP's entry cost. But, the $30,000/MW payment is refundable until the interconnection agreement is executed.
• Generation must hold a firm offtake agreement with the load in the same Local Resource Zone. The request size must be between 250 MW and 150% of the load's peak demand.
• Multiple facilities serving one load can file as one application at a single POI, opening a pathway for co-located solar and BESS.

Parallel studies replace sequential ones, saving 60 days or more

Today, a large load addition is studied first, and the generation built to serve it queues in series. LARS runs both studies at once and shares results between them, shortening the approval timeline.