Wisconsin Electric Power Company Supports MISO's Expedited Resource Addition Study Proposal

Strategic Insights -

Wisconsin Electric Power Company has submitted a motion to intervene and comments in support of Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc.'s (MISO) Expedited Resource Addition Study (ERAS) proposal to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The proposal aims to establish a framework for accelerated study of generation projects that can address urgent resource adequacy and reliability needs in the near term. The WEC Utilities argue that MISO's revised proposal addresses the Commission's previous concerns and will help ensure that the ERAS process is sufficiently targeted to study only interconnection requests needed to meet the anticipated shortfall in generating capacity.

Key Takeaways:

  • MISO proposed to revise its Open Access Transmission, Energy and Operating Reserve Markets Tariff to establish the ERAS process, which will enable the accelerated study of generation projects that can address urgent resource adequacy and reliability needs in the near term.
  • The revised proposal includes a cap on the number of projects eligible to participate in ERAS and requires a stronger demonstration of a connection between the proposed project and the resource adequacy and/or reliability need that warrants its inclusion in ERAS.
  • The WEC Utilities support MISO's proposal and urge the Commission to approve it, highlighting the innovative solution it will provide for addressing the region's need for new generation in the next few years.
  • The ERAS process will help address urgent resource adequacy and reliability needs within the region on an expedited basis by enabling MISO to continually evaluate new generator interconnection requests and issue an ERAS Generator Interconnection Agreement within 90 days.
  • The WEC Utilities argue that the revised proposal addresses the Commission's previous concerns and will help ensure that the ERAS process is sufficiently targeted to study only interconnection requests needed to meet the anticipated shortfall in generating capacity.
  • MISO has also proposed to incorporate the retail choice states - Illinois and parts of Michigan - into the ERAS process.
  • The Commission should accept MISO's proposed Tariff revisions, which will help address the region's urgent resource adequacy and reliability needs.

Statistics:

  • MISO has proposed to place a cap on the number of projects eligible to participate in ERAS.
  • The ERAS process will enable MISO to continually evaluate new generator interconnection requests and issue an ERAS Generator Interconnection Agreement within 90 days.
  • The Commission has previously faulted MISO for failing to limit the number of projects that can enter the ERAS process and for failing to demonstrate that its proposal will solve the identified reliability and resource adequacy needs.
  • The revised proposal requires a stronger demonstration of a connection between the proposed project and the resource adequacy and/or reliability need that warrants its inclusion in ERAS.

Sources:

  • Midcontinent Indep. Sys. Operator, Inc., Expedited Resource Addition Study Filing, Docket No. ER25-1674-000 (filed Mar. 17, 2025).
  • Midcontinent Indep. Sys. Operator, Inc., Expedited Resource Addition Study Filing, Docket No. ER25-2454 (filed June 6, 2025) ("June 6 ERAS Proposal").
  • Midcontinent Indep. Sys. Operator, Inc., 191 FERC P 61,131, at P 199 (2025).
  • Motion to Intervene and Comments of WEC Utilities at 2-3, Docket No. ER25-1674-000 (filed Apr. 7, 2025).