In the January 31, 2024, meeting of the Planning Subcommittee, MISO reviewed the 2023 Near-Term Congestion Study and identified three scope opportunities for 2024. Stakeholder feedback was requested on the three scope options discussed.
Feedback is due February 14.
WPPI Energy appreciates MISO’s continuation of work on near-term congestion analysis, and we look forward to identification and eventual inclusion in MTEP Appendix A of cost-effective near-term projects.
The three proposals included in MISO’s presentation each has merit. We see value in assessing the impacts of Tranche 1 construction outages, but we are concerned that it may now be too early to model these with the desired accuracy. Given that our focus is on near-term congestion and potential near-term fixes, our preference is for MISO to perform a Year 2 study. We hope this may assist Transmission Owners in identifying relatively low-cost near-term congestion-relief projects that they can propose on their own initiative.
Feedback on behalf of the Louisiana Commission Staff.
LPSC Staff suggests that MISO pursue Item #2 LRTP Tranche I Construction Outages Assessment. Developing and utilizing a reasonable study process that provides insight into a construction sequencing plan, which could provide an effective reduction in congestion during construction of LRTP Tranche I projects, is an appropriate use of MISO personnel and stakeholder time. Recent MISO Near Term Congestion Study efforts have clearly shown short term transmission outages are a leading source of congestion at various flowgates.
LPSC Staff would like to note that efforts to identify persistent congestion at specific flowgates in recent Near Term Congestion Studies have been less than fruitful. Hence, it seems unreasonable to continue down a path of study refinements as noted in MISO's proposed Item #1 Year 5 Economic Model Refinement & Study and Item #3 Year 2 Economic Model Development & Study.
Thank you for undertaking this continued near-term congestion work which includes the identification of issues in near-term horizons.
In terms of the three possible options under consideration for the 2024 Near-Term Congestion Study, we support the Option 1 where MISO would refine the Year 5 model used in the MTEP23 Near-Term Congestion Study. A five-year out study is more likely to identify more issues than a two-year out study and identifying five-year out issues allows more time for facility owners to develop mitigation plans and work through the MTEP planning process to get them implemented in time for the forecasted five-year timeframe. Lastly, the PROMOD software is better suited for an out-year planning analysis as opposed to being used for nearer-term grid operations, thus PROMOD analysis is more applicable to a five year out study as opposed to a two-year out study. Further, we would prefer Option 3 over Option 2 given PROMOD is not an optimal operational tool and the results of construction outage analysis may not be helpful given the unknowns and complexities of future LRTP T1 construction outages (the outages will be better known as we get closer to actual LRTP construction dates).
Mississippi Public Service Commission (MPSC) Response PSC: MTEP24 Near-Term Congestion Study (20240131)
In the January 31, 2024, meeting of the Planning Subcommittee, MISO reviewed the 2023 Near-Term Congestion Study and identified three scope opportunities for 2024. Stakeholder feedback was requested on the three scope options discussed.
Feedback is due February 14.
Feedback
It is not clear whether MISO is asking for feedback on which of the three alternative scope options to pursue, or whether MISO is seeking feedback on specific aspects of each scope option.
If the desired feedback is to address which scope option to pursue, the MPSC finds Option #2 LRTP T1 Construction Outages Assessment to be the better use of MISO’s resources, considering the need for improved outage coordination in scheduling the construction of T1 transmission projects amidst the construction of increasing numbers of transmission upgrades to accommodate new generation and plant retirements.
The MPSC further understands the unpredictable nature of generation and transmission regarding unplanned outages and fuel availability. The pursuit of Option #3 Year 2 Economic Model Development & Study, and associated efforts to assess their impact on persistent congestion at specific flowgates, is a low priority, given the unsurprising results of this type of analysis in the 2023 Near-Term Congestion Study (NTCS).
If MISO decides to pursue Option #3, this scope option could benefit from statistical analysis of persistent unscheduled transmission outage patterns to include in the Year 2 Economic Model.
Moreover, the MPSC offers the following additional thoughts:
First, if among other things, the congestion studied is being caused by generators with ERIS, then MISO needs to develop a process to redispatch (down) generation with ERIS in real-time consistent with Commission precedent (Order 2003) and the Tariff. Or MISO should eliminate ERIS and require all generators to take NRIS.
Second, the MPSC wants to clarify that elimination of near-term congestion should not be a component of LRTP. By definition, LRTP is looking to address long-term transmission issues (e.g., 20 to 40 years). If anything, NTCS should be used to identify discrete projects (e.g., breaker upgrades, wave traps, transformer upgrades) that would provide local utilities an incentive to address local congestion issues (i.e., a positive benefit-to-cost ratio that would justify an economic-other project). Some MISO stakeholders have done this successfully.