MISO Winter: Coal Still Reigns

October 07, 2025 

According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), natural gas generally provides more electricity than coal across the US. However, MISO remains an outlier.

In its latest Short Term Energy Outlook, EIA forecasts more generation from coal versus natural gas in the upcoming winter months in MISO. Coal is increasingly being dispatched to fill gas gaps.

Coal remains competitive in MISO, especially when natural gas prices are relatively high. In the winter, natural gas supply may face constraints including  production freeze-offs that impact dispatch of natural gas-fired power plants.

The EIA expects natural gas to continue to gain market share in MISO as older, less efficient coal-fired generators retire. While a few coal-fired generators came online in the late 2000s and early 2010s, most of the fleet came online before 1990. By comparison, much of the natural gas capacity is from the newer and relatively efficient combined-cycle units that have come online since 2000.

Thermal generation currently represents about 75% of the supply in MISO. However, S&P reports that developers anticipate adding 7,762 MW of solar, 1,343 MW of wind, 1,454 of gas, 747 MW of energy storage and 14 MW of hydro capacity in 2025.