Reliability Planning

MISO planners study transmission reliability from multiple perspectives to confirm the transmission system has sufficient capacity to provide reliable service to customers. The annual assessments ensure that the transmission system meets NERC and regional reliability standards as well as local Transmission Owner (TO) criteria.

Each assessment comprises of three types of analysis: steady state, dynamic stability and voltage stability. MISO uses various models to identify system needs, which are mapped to project submittals from transmission planning entities. MISO staff coordinates with area transmission planners to verify needs, identify alternative solutions for potential shortcomings and resolve gaps where additional system upgrades may be required.

The results of these reliability analyses, along with the proposed mitigating transmission projects, are presented and peer-reviewed at a series of Subregional Planning Meetings (SPM). Additional Technical Study Task Force (TSTF) meetings are convened for each MISO planning subregion on an as-needed basis to discuss confidential system information.

Get Involved

Planning Advisory Committee (PAC)

Planning Subcommittee (PSC)

Modeling User Group (MUG)

For more information contact the Expansion Planning team.

NERC Standards

MISO Reliability Planning incorporates the following NERC standards in its scope of transmission planning. The listed months are a generalization of when our Stakeholders may expect to receive a data request or notification for posting Reliability Material.

FAC-010 - System Operating Limits Methodology for the Planning Horizon

Final report posted in November

FAC-014 - Establish and Communicate System Operating Limits
- Email notification sent in December
IRO-017 - Outage Coordination
- Email notification sent in February
NUC-001 - Nuclear Plant Interface Coordination
- MISO posts draft NPIR results for Transmission Owner review in October
- Appendix D8 with final NPIR results is posted in December
PRC-006 - Automatic Underfrequency Load Shedding
- Data requests sent to Transmission Owners and Distribution Providers (i.e. UFLS entities) to update UFLS relay settings data in April
- MISO receives UFLS relay settings data from UFLS entities in June
PRC-010 - Under Voltage Load Shedding
PRC-012 - Remedial Action Schemes (enforcement starting 01/01/2021)
PRC-023 - Transmission Relay Loadability
PRC-024 - Generator Frequency and Voltage Protective Relay Settings
PRC-026 - Relay Performance During Stable Power Swings
- Draft BES List sent for stakeholder review in February
- Final BES List sent in March
TPL-001 - Transmission System Planning Performance Requirements
TPL-007 - Transmission System Planned Performance for Geomagnetic Disturbance Events
- MISO notifies applicable Transmission Owners with GIC exceeding threshold in December of study years

Timeline

The following is an approximate timeline of data requests postings, and email notifications for TPL-001 and planned stakeholder meetings. It roughly follows the 18-month MTEP calendar, beginning in June and ending in December of the following calendar year.

June	Transmission Owners provide any updates to the posted transmission planning criteria and provide any models used to support the identification of proposed projects
September	All project submittals due by the 15th
January	First Subregional Planning Meeting MISO requests steady state contingencies from Transmission Owners
February	FERC 715 data filing request form sent
May	MISO posts steady state results for single initiating events for Transmission Owner review Deadline to submit project alternatives by May 31st. Second Subregional Planning Meeting
June	Second Subregional Planning Meeting MISO posts steady state results for P3-P6 events for Transmission Owner review
August	TPL-001, MISO posts transient results for Transmission Owner review Third Subregional Planning Meeting
November	TPL-001, MISO posts extreme events steady state results for Transmission Owner review
December	MISO posts MTEP confidential appendices

MTEP Project Submittal

MISO BPM-020 Transmission Planning Section 4.2.3 describes project reporting guidelines for submitting new projects into the MTEP study process. All project submittals and updates should be provided to the MISO Project Database using the Planning Portal web tool. For detailed instructions on how to provision access and use the web tool, see Project Submittal Instructions.

New MTEP projects must be submitted by September 15th each year for the subsequent MTEP study cycle. Alternatives to these MTEP projects must be submitted by May 31st or by the Second Subregional Planning Meeting, whichever date occurs later. For more information on schedule and requirements, see MTEP Information Exchange Schedules and Requirements.

Contact the MTEP team with any questions or issues.

Market Participant Funded Projects

The annual MTEP planning cycle intends to provide an orderly and efficient holistic, open and transparent expansion planning process that establishes the transmission needs for the MISO system. Use the proposal form below to submit a Market Participant Funded Project.

Expedited Project Review Request

Some circumstances require projects to be approved prior to the next annual MTEP cycle. Transmission owners may justify an Expedited Project Review (EPR) study if it will help drive a timely response to a significant load additions or other new system needs that require budgeting, regulatory milestones, construction and other project development support prior to approval of the next MTEP.

Project Alternative Submission

The MTEP process will consider proposed alternative solutions to Transmission Owners submitted projects. Entities interested in proposing alternatives are required to complete and submit the alternative submittal form below.

FAQs

1. How do I access reliability models? Models are posted on the MISO FTP. To request FTP access, please fill out the access request form and request "FTP Sites."

2. How do I access MTEP transmission maps? There are two ways to access the MTEP transmission maps. The first is to fill out the access request form and request "Maps."

Please note: To fill out the access request form, a MISO website login is required. To receive FTP access, appropriate CEII NDAs and UNDAs must be on file. For more information about NDA forms, please see the Client Relations page.