# GridStatus MCP MCP > GridStatus provides access to real-time and historical US electricity grid data, covering everything from consumption load to wholesale pricing across major ISOs like ERCOT, CAISO, and PJM. You track fuel mix breakdowns (solar, wind, gas), monitor Locational Marginal Pricing (LMP) at 5-minute intervals, and analyze capacity commitments for the entire American energy market. ## Overview - **Category:** the-unthinkable - **Price:** Free - **Tags:** electricity-grid, iso-data, renewable-energy, wholesale-pricing, energy-market, real-time-monitoring ## Description The GridStatus MCP lets your AI client become an instant US energy analyst. Instead of manually checking multiple regional websites or wrestling with complicated data feeds, you query a single source to understand how America's power grid operates in real time. You can track current electricity consumption across any major ISO, see exactly which fuel sources—be it solar, natural gas, or coal—are powering the region, and analyze wholesale prices at specific trading hubs. This level of granular detail is critical for anyone tracking the energy transition or managing risk. With Vinkius, you connect this specialized data source once from your preferred AI client, giving your agent immediate access to a massive catalog of market intelligence, making complex grid analysis simple. It's all about understanding dynamics—watching how high wind output affects pricing in New York versus tracking the daily load patterns in Texas. You get a complete picture without ever leaving your chat window. ## Tools ### get_api_usage Checks how many rows you've queried and shows your remaining data quota. ### get_capacity_data Retrieves resource adequacy metrics and capacity commitment data for a specific US ISO. ### get_dataset_metadata Lists the date ranges, available columns, and schema details for any specified dataset. ### get_fuel_mix Provides a breakdown of power generation by source (coal, wind, solar, etc.) for a selected US ISO. ### get_lmp_data Gathers day-ahead Locational Marginal Pricing (LMP) data across multiple nodes and time periods in an ISO. ### list_datasets Lists all available datasets in the GridStatus API, including supported ISOs and data types. ### get_load_data Shows the total electricity demand or consumption metrics for a specific US ISO region over time. ### query_dataset Allows you to query any specific dataset with advanced filtering, resampling, or aggregation controls. ### get_realtime_lmp Delivers 5-minute interval wholesale electricity prices in real-time across multiple US ISOs. ### get_realtime_spp Tracks the most current, 15-minute Settlement Point Price (SPP) data for the Texas ERCOT grid. ### get_spp_data Retrieves day-ahead hourly Settlement Point Price (SPP) forecasts specifically for the ERCOT market. ### get_standardized_data Fetches standardized, consistently formatted hourly data with uniform regional breakdowns across different ISOs. ## Prompt Examples **Prompt:** ``` What is the current electricity demand in ERCOT (Texas)? ``` **Response:** ``` Fetching latest ERCOT load data... Current electricity demand in Texas is 42,850 MW. Load has been relatively stable over the past 6 hours, ranging between 42,200-43,500 MW as typical for this time of day in spring. ``` **Prompt:** ``` Show me the energy mix for California right now — how much comes from solar, wind, and natural gas? ``` **Response:** ``` Retrieving CAISO fuel mix... Current California generation: Solar 8,245 MW (32%), Natural Gas 9,870 MW (38%), Wind 4,120 MW (16%), Hydro 1,890 MW (7%), Nuclear 2,215 MW (9%), Other 350 MW. Renewables (solar+wind+hydro) account for 55% of current generation. Solar is near its daily peak. ``` **Prompt:** ``` What are day-ahead electricity prices for the PJM Houston hub tomorrow? ``` **Response:** ``` Fetching PJM day-ahead LMP... Tomorrow's hourly prices at the Houston hub range from $18/MWh (3 AM) to $42/MWh (7 PM peak). The daily average is $28/MWh. Cheapest hours are 2-5 AM ($18-20/MWh), most expensive are 5-8 PM ($38-42/MWh). Prices are moderate compared to recent weeks. ``` ## Capabilities ### Track real-time electricity prices Get live, 5-minute interval wholesale prices (LMP/SPP) at specific nodes across multiple US ISOs. ### Analyze regional energy mix Determine the power generation breakdown by fuel source—like solar versus gas—for any supported region. ### Monitor overall grid demand Retrieve historical or current total electricity load consumption for a specific US ISO region. ### Assess long-term capacity risk Check resource adequacy data and capacity commitments necessary for future grid planning. ### Compare regional market pricing Query day-ahead or real-time prices across different ISOs, enabling cross-market comparisons. ## Use Cases ### Assessing Texas grid stability A policy advocate needs to know if ERCOT is facing supply stress. They ask their agent, which uses get_realtime_spp and get_load_data, to compare current load against live settlement point prices across key hubs. ### Researching clean energy impact An academic wants to study how solar growth affects wholesale costs. They use get_fuel_mix in conjunction with query_dataset and filter for specific ISOs to build a comprehensive, longitudinal model. ### Optimizing corporate procurement A sustainability team needs to know when electricity is cheapest *and* cleanest. They run get_lmp_data alongside get_fuel_mix to find periods where low prices coincide with high renewable generation in their target ISO. ### Forecasting regional peak demand An engineering firm needs a reliable estimate of next quarter's load. They use get_load_data, specifying the desired start and end dates, to generate structured historical data for their internal forecasting models. ## Benefits - Spot price spikes using get_realtime_lmp: Don't guess when prices will jump. This tool tracks live, 5-minute nodal pricing, letting your agent identify exactly when demand causes major cost swings. - Map the energy transition with get_fuel_mix: Need to know if California is running on wind or gas today? This capability breaks down generation by source, giving you a clear picture of regional decarbonization efforts. - Model future load using get_load_data: Don't rely on rough estimates. By fetching historical and current consumption data for an ISO, you can build accurate demand forecasts for capacity planning. - Compare markets with get_lmp_data: Need to know if PJM is cheaper than MISO tomorrow? You use this tool to gather day-ahead pricing across multiple regions simultaneously, making cross-market arbitrage decisions. - Validate your data structure using list_datasets: Before building a complex query, you can run list_datasets. This helps you discover every available dataset ID and supported ISO right away. ## How It Works The bottom line is you don’t write code; you ask questions, and the MCP does the heavy lifting to retrieve precise market data. 1. Subscribe to this MCP and enter your GridStatus API key into Vinkius. 2. Connect your preferred AI client (like Claude or Cursor) to the Vinkius platform. 3. Ask your agent a natural language question, like 'What's the current load in Texas?' and let it use the available tools. ## Frequently Asked Questions **What does get_realtime_lmp do?** get_realtime_lmp tracks live wholesale electricity prices at 5-minute intervals. It's what you use when you need to see price spikes or volatility in the US grid right now. **How do I list all available datasets with list_datasets?** list_datasets gives you a comprehensive list of every dataset ID and supported ISO, letting you know exactly what data types (load, fuel_mix, lmp) are available to query. **Can I compare loads across different regions using get_load_data?** Yes. By calling get_load_data with multiple ISO identifiers and a shared date range, you can easily pull comparative consumption metrics for different parts of the US. **What is the difference between get_lmp_data and get_realtime_lmp?** get_lmp_data handles day-ahead forecasts (planned prices), while get_realtime_lmp provides the actual, live 5-minute pricing data. Use them for different planning horizons. **How do I check my usage with get_api_usage?** get_api_usage shows your current row counts and remaining quota allowance, preventing you from hitting rate limits mid-analysis. **How can I use `get_fuel_mix` to track renewable adoption over several years?** It retrieves the generation breakdown by source (solar, wind, etc.) for a given ISO. You'll need to set specific start and end dates in the call parameters to see how the energy mix has changed across time periods. **What are the necessary parameters when calling `get_capacity_data`?** The required parameter is the ISO identifier (like 'pjm'). You can further refine results by providing optional start and end dates, or limiting the row count to focus on specific commitment periods. **Why should I use `get_standardized_data` instead of querying load directly?** This MCP guarantees that all returned data has a uniform schema and consistent column names. It’s the best tool for cross-ISO comparisons or when you need clean, standardized data ready for modeling. **Which US electricity grid operators (ISOs) are supported?** The GridStatus API supports all major US Independent System Operators: ERCOT (Texas), CAISO (California), PJM (Mid-Atlantic/Midwest), MISO (Midwest), NYISO (New York), ISO-NE (New England), and SPP (Southwest/Central). Each ISO provides different datasets including load, fuel mix, LMP pricing, and standardized data depending on what they report. **How do I get a GridStatus API key and what are the usage limits?** Visit https://www.gridstatus.io/ and create a free account. Your API key will be available in your account settings. The free tier includes 500,000 rows per month, which is sufficient for most research and analysis use cases. Use the `get_api_usage` tool to monitor your remaining quota. Higher tiers are available for commercial applications requiring more data access. **What is the difference between LMP and SPP pricing data?** LMP (Locational Marginal Pricing) is used by most ISOs (PJM, CAISO, MISO, NYISO, ISO-NE, SPP) and represents the wholesale electricity price at specific nodes. SPP (Settlement Point Price) is ERCOT's equivalent for Texas. Both measure $/MWh but use different market mechanisms. LMP has day-ahead hourly and real-time 5-minute intervals. ERCOT SPP has day-ahead hourly and real-time 15-minute intervals. Both include prices at trading hubs (e.g. HB_HOUSTON, HB_NORTH), load zones, and resource zones. **Can I get renewable energy percentage data from the fuel mix?** Yes! Use the `get_fuel_mix` tool with ISOs that support it (ERCOT, CAISO, ISO-NE). The response includes generation breakdown by source: solar, wind, hydro, natural_gas, coal, nuclear, and others. You can calculate the renewable percentage by summing solar + wind + hydro and dividing by total generation. Note that fuel mix data availability varies by ISO — ERCOT and CAISO have the most comprehensive renewable tracking.