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The U.S. electric system is complex. We take electricity for granted when we flip on a switch. Ensuring the lights come on when you flip the switch is the job of the electric grid. Each state either has its own electric grid manager or belongs to a regional grid with other states. The various organizations that manage the grid are either called ISOs (Independent System Operators) or RTOs (Regional Transmission Organizations). The map at the left shows the various ISO/RTO regions across the U.S. In the Midcontinent, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) manages the grid. All of these grids are supposed to be source agnostic with respect to how they get the electricity that flows along the lines they oversee. Whether the electricity comes from coal, natural gas, solar, wind, hydro, or cow farts--it's not supposed to matter. Except it DOES matter--a great deal.
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