Stakeholder Engagement Process

We seek the input of our stakeholders during each phase of our 10-Year assessment process

Since 2001, ATC has engaged in open and collaborative efforts to share information and solicit input on our plans. We believe that by making our planning efforts transparent and available to the public, the proposals for needed facilities can be more readily understood and accepted by communities that stand to benefit from them. In recent years, the federal government has taken additional steps to ensure that transmission-owning utilities produce and share planning information with the public and local stakeholders. ATC is committed to continuing our open and transparent processes for planning our transmission system. We value the input of all our stakeholders, and we strive to meet or exceed requirements in FERC Orders 890 and 1000.  
 
The ATC stakeholder engagement process has three main phases where we solicit input from stakeholders: assumptions, needs and solutions.

Assumptions phase

In the assumptions phase of the process, ATC develops and proposes a study design for the forthcoming assessment. We meet with stakeholders to provide a summary of the study design that can facilitate discussion of planning criteria, study methods, assumptions for models and potential public policy needs. Input from stakeholders will affect decisions about which models to build and study, as well as resources and loads to model. This meeting is also an additional opportunity to provide feedback on the results of the previous year’s assessment. 

Needs phase

For the needs phase of the annual 10-Year Assessment, we meet with stakeholders to summarize how the results of analyses may be impacting existing needs or creating new needs. Stakeholders are invited to participate and discuss potential needs, including those driven by public policy requirements.  

Solutions phase

In the solutions phase, we meet with stakeholders to participate and discuss whether appropriate solutions have been considered for identified needs. The projects comprising the solutions we identified in the assessment have multiple need drivers such as load growth, generation changes, asset renewal, public policy, communications (Optical Ground Wire, or OPGW) and economic benefits. ATC is involved in the assumptions and processes through which the MISO regional public policy studies are carried out. ATC also provides an updated list of projects to include in each year’s MISO Transmission Expansion Plan, based on the recently completed ATC 10-Year Assessment. 

Meeting notices and documentation for these phases can be found on the economic planning webpage. If a need driver is determined during the assumptions, need or solutions phase, each project will be indicated in the need category of the network project list. 

Publication/distribution

The stakeholder engagement process culminates in posting our report on the 10-Year Assessment website. 

The information on this website provides the foundation for continued public discussion on the transmission planning process, identified transmission needs and limitations, possible resolutions to those needs and coordination with other public infrastructure planning processes. 

For the 10-Year Assessment engagement process in 2022, there were no additional public policy requirements, needs or solutions suggested by stakeholders.