Indiana could face a power shortage if the state doesn’t act quickly

INDIANAPOLIS — This heat wave has us all cranking up our air conditioning and turning on our fans to stay cool.

This means more electricity is being drawn from the region’s power grid, which begs the question: How much electricity can our power grid consume?

Last week, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) released its annual survey for the 2025-2026 planning year. The organization operates much of the Midwest network.

MISO warned that electricity demand could exceed supply, with the greatest risk in spring and summer.

The survey showed that the MISO region could see a deficit of 2.7 GW or even a surplus of 1.1 GW next year. In previous surveys, deficits had been forecast, but then shutdowns and market corrections filled the gap.

In a worst-case scenario, MISO will have to order rolling blackouts to keep the grid from collapsing. This is where utility companies cut off power to certain areas for short periods of time.

The Indiana Energy Association told 13News that likely won’t happen.

“We have never had a problem in Indiana and with our coordinated and robust planning efforts, we hope we never will,” said Danielle McGrath, president of the Indiana Energy Association.

She said planning and collaboration will be key to meeting demand.

“What all companies have identified is that we will need more production. So, as Hoosiers, we can expect more production to be built over the coming years and we are thinking about how to get there quickly,” McGrath said.

The grid has less capacity than before, in part because of the retirement of old power plants.

“We need to find creative ways to get more electricity onto the grid and I think that goes for all forms of electricity. We also shouldn’t cut power until we can build new capacity,” said Jon Ford, president of Indianapolis-based Reliable Energy.

Reliable Energy, Inc. is a trade organization focused on grid reliability and electricity affordability.

Ford said the state should plan for future nuclear power plants as well as reliable energy sources like coal and gas.

“This sounds the alarm that it’s time for people to work. I don’t think there’s a threat of power outages coming in the near future, but again, it’s just a warning that we need to take this seriously,” Ford said.

Electric companies like AES Indiana and Duke Energy offer tips, tools and programs to help customers save money and manage their energy use during the hot summer months.

You can find more information here.

• Adjust your thermostat – set your thermostat as high as possible in the summer. The recommended setting is 78° or higher when you are at home and higher when you are sleeping or away.
• Set the air conditioning to “auto” instead of “on” and reduce your energy costs.
• Block the sun: Close blinds and shades during the hottest hours of the day to keep heat out and cool air in.
• Wait until later in the evening to use heat-producing appliances, such as the oven, dryer, and dishwasher. Many dryers and dishwashers have timers that you can set to turn on hours later.
• Turn off unnecessary lights and switch to energy-efficient lighting that releases less heat into your home.
• Turn off ceiling fans in unoccupied rooms. Fans provide an inexpensive alternative to setting the thermostat to a lower temperature because fans cool people, not rooms.
• Change or clean filters once a month. Dust and dirt make your device work harder.