Coalition Fights Utility-Backed Bid to Suspend Competitive Transmission Bidding

Consumer advocates and manufacturers push back against utilities' request to remove competitive bidding requirements for major power grid projects.

Apr. 12, 2026 at 2:34pm

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A photorealistic studio still life featuring a polished metal electrical transmission tower component, a coil of copper wire, and a sleek digital tablet displaying a graph of electricity prices, conceptually representing the corporate strategy and market forces at play in the dispute over competitive bidding for power grid projects.As utilities push to eliminate competitive bidding for power grid projects, consumer advocates warn of unchecked cost escalation and higher electricity bills.Joplin Today

A nationwide coalition of consumer advocates and manufacturers has filed a request with federal regulators to reject a complaint filed by Oklahoma Gas & Electric and eight other utilities. The utilities are seeking to temporarily eliminate the competitive bidding requirement for construction of distribution lines for major power grids, arguing it leads to delays and higher costs. However, the coalition accused the utilities of being 'tone deaf' to the affordability crisis and claimed that competitive bidding has historically enhanced cost and schedule discipline, while non-competitive projects have not provided the same protections for ratepayers.

Why it matters

The outcome of this dispute could have significant implications for electricity rates and costs for consumers across the 18 states covered by the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) and Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) grids. The coalition argues that suspending competition would 'expose consumers in these regions to unchecked cost escalation for years, guaranteeing higher utility bills'.

The details

The Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition (ETCC) filed a request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to reject the complaint filed by OG&E and the other eight utilities. The utilities argued that competitive bidding has led to delays and higher costs, but the coalition claimed this premise is 'false' and not supported by the record. The coalition said competitive transmission projects in SPP and MISO have historically reduced costs by an average of 21% and 38% respectively, but most projects were not competitively bid. They accused the utilities of being against ratepayer protections and said a moratorium on competition would 'deprive ratepayers of the cost and schedule protections built into the competitive selection process, without providing any offsetting or meaningful benefits'.

  • The utilities filed their complaint with FERC on Tuesday.
  • The ETCC filed its request with FERC in response to the utilities' complaint.

The players

Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition (ETCC)

A nationwide alliance of consumer advocates and manufacturers that opposes the utilities' request to remove competitive bidding requirements for major power grid projects.

Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E)

One of the nine utilities that filed a complaint with FERC seeking to temporarily eliminate the competitive bidding requirement for transmission line construction.

Empire District Electric Company

Another utility that joined OG&E in filing the complaint with FERC.

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What they’re saying

“Without competition, a monopoly incumbent utility has zero incentive to reduce costs because the more they spend the more their profits increase. The complaint is inconsistent with President Trump's Ratepayer Protection Pledge, a pledge that consumers do not pay higher rates due to data center expansion and his Executive Order 'Reducing Anti-Competitive Regulatory Barriers,'”

— ETCC

“Suspending competition for five years in MISO and SPP would expose consumers in these regions to unchecked cost escalation for years, guaranteeing higher utility bills. MISO and SPP competitive transmission projects have been shown to have a better track record of adhering to cost containment and completion schedules than non-competitive projects. A moratorium would move us backward at precisely the wrong time.”

— Paul Cicio, Chair of the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition

What’s next

FERC will decide whether to reject or approve the utilities' request to temporarily eliminate the competitive bidding requirement for transmission line construction.

The takeaway

This dispute highlights the ongoing tension between utilities seeking to maximize profits and consumer advocates fighting to protect ratepayers from unchecked cost increases. The outcome could have significant implications for electricity affordability across the Midwest and Great Plains regions.