Equitable Grid Principles Guidance for Electric Grid Infrastructure Decisionmakers and Stakeholders in the MISO Region

The Union of Concerned Scientists presents a framework of nine principles designed to make electric grid infrastructure planning in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) region more equitable. These principles advocate for the prioritization of Indigenous rights, accountable decisionmaking, and procedural justice to prevent the replication of past harms. The guidance emphasizes shifting away from centralized fossil-fuel systems toward locally controlled clean energy resources, just sourcing of materials, and worker protections. It specifically calls for the adoption of the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) standard for Indigenous communities and the implementation of social welfare metrics to benefit disadvantaged communities.

• Grid planning must prioritize Indigenous rights by engaging affected communities from the start, recognizing tribal sovereignty, and adopting the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) standard as a framework for decisionmaking.
• Current decisionmaking in the MISO region is criticized for being too heavily influenced by industry insiders and lacking public accountability, leading to a recommendation for a shared accountability committee composed of democratically elected workers and impacted community members.
• To ensure procedural justice, grid decisionmaking bodies should use nontechnical language, provide translation services, and establish a dedicated utility-funded account to allow impacted communities to hire their own technical experts.
• The framework advocates for maximizing the value of locally controlled clean energy and demand response resources, suggesting the use of eight specific social welfare metrics for disadvantaged communities (DACs) developed by the US Department of Energy.
• Grid infrastructure should be prioritized to enable the retirement of all fossil fuel facilities, including those using carbon capture or hydrogen blending, in favor of wind, solar, and energy efficiency.
• The guidance calls for 'just sourcing' of materials to mitigate environmental and social harm, suggesting the use of recycled steel, aluminum made from renewable electricity, and repurposed electric vehicle batteries for grid storage.
• Worker protections should include prioritizing high-quality jobs for people in impacted communities and ensuring safety standards are developed through inclusive, worker-driven processes.
• Climate resilience planning must move beyond narrow weather scenarios to account for high-impact events like Hurricanes Ida and Laura and Winter Storms Uri and Elliott, prioritizing emissions-free solutions such as microgrids and virtual power plants.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2023). Equitable Grid Principles Guidance for Electric Grid Infrastructure Decisionmakers and Stakeholders in the MISO Region. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-06/Equitable-Grid-Principles-00.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Equitable Grid Principles Guidance for Electric Grid Infrastructure Decisionmakers and Stakeholders in the MISO Region. 2023. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-06/Equitable-Grid-Principles-00.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Equitable Grid Principles Guidance for Electric Grid Infrastructure Decisionmakers and Stakeholders in the MISO Region |date=May 2023 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-06/Equitable-Grid-Principles-00.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2023equitable, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Equitable Grid Principles Guidance for Electric Grid Infrastructure Decisionmakers and Stakeholders in the MISO Region}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2023}, month = may, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-06/Equitable-Grid-Principles-00.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }