TransAlta Seeks $180 Million From MISO Ratepayers After DOE Emergency Orders Pile Up Costs
Cost recovery filings reveal the ratepayer burden from DOE emergency power operations, as FERC orders all six major US grid operators to justify large-load tariffs.
TransAlta is seeking $180 million in cost recovery from ratepayers in MISO northern and central regions after running power plants under Department of Energy emergency orders — despite having recovered $221 million through sales in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator market, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Calgary-based independent power producer warned it would need an additional $23 million if DOE issues further orders for its Centralia plant.5
The figures, reported by Utility Dive on Thursday (2026-06-25), put dollar amounts on the ratepayer exposure accumulating under the DOE emergency framework. They emerged eight days after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission voted unanimously (2026-06-18) to issue show-cause orders to all six regional transmission organizations and independent system operators under its jurisdiction, directing each to either justify or rewrite how large electricity loads are priced for grid access.4,5
FERC's June 18 (2026-06-18) action invoked Section 206 of the Federal Power Act. The commission said its orders address what staff described as "the pressing need in the RTO/ISO regions" and cover more than 200 million Americans across more than 30 states and the District of Columbia — nearly two-thirds of US electricity load.4
The cost recovery picture extends across multiple generators. Constellation Energy spent approximately $4.8 million operating Eddystone units under its first DOE order, according to company spokesman Mark Rodgers. The Campbell power plant has produced about 5.7 million short tons of carbon dioxide while operating under DOE orders, the equivalent of 1.2 million gas-fueled cars driven for a year, per the latest EPA data. TransAlta separately flagged $19.9 million in additional cost recovery sought from ratepayers to cover expenses from keeping its Centralia plant out of retirement, per an April 30 filing with FERC.5
The MISO market carries the most immediate exposure, but FERC's investigation targets a longer-running structural problem: US power demand from data centers has grown sharply enough that existing tariff frameworks were not designed to allocate costs equitably. The data center market is projected to require between 65GW and 90GW of additional power by 2029, according to Grid Strategies, and regional grid operators have already requested extensions on FERC deadlines for transmission upgrades.1
Big Tech has followed the regulatory process closely. Companies have hired energy and regulatory experts in-house and through outside counsel to track FERC's approach to data center infrastructure, with at least one major technology company describing the commission's stance as having a "direct impact" on its build-out plans.3
FERC's show-cause orders require each RTO and ISO to respond and either defend current tariff structures or file proposed revisions. CAISO, which oversees the largest renewable integration market in the country, is among the six operators required to justify its large-load tariff. The timeline for actual changes — and for any litigation over rejected proposals — is measured in months at minimum.4,2
For MISO ratepayers in the northern and central regions, the arithmetic is more immediate: TransAlta's $180 million cost recovery claim sits in the pipeline now, while the broader tariff overhaul works through the regulatory process. Whether FERC's structural review moves quickly enough to affect who absorbs these existing emergency-order costs — or only shapes how the next wave is distributed — will determine how much of the bill reaches monthly utility statements.