State Briefs

Companies Propose Multi-state Projects in New England

Hydropower and wind power developers have submitted two proposals to supply electricity to three New England states to meet renewable energy goals. Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts jointly solicited projects for more than 5,000 GWh of clean energy.

Anbaric Transmission and National Grid proposed building the 60-mile Vermont Green Line transmission system to deliver 400 MW of hydropower from Canada and electricity from a proposed wind project in Beekmantown, N.Y. The line would be buried along public roadways and underneath Lake Champlain to connect with the ISO-NE grid.

Central Maine Power and Emera Maine proposed building about 150 miles of new transmission lines and substations to deliver up to 1,200 MW of electricity from wind projects in the northern part of the state that are planned or under development. The Maine Renewable Energy Interconnect project would largely follow existing rights of way.

More: National Grid; Portland Press Herald

Mo. Lawmakers to Wash. State: More Time on Colstrip Plant

A delegation of Montana lawmakers recently made a pitch to their counterparts in Washington state to save the coal-fired Colstrip power plant — or at least give them time to plan for a partial shutdown.

A bill before the Washington State Legislature would authorize Colstrip’s largest owner, Puget Sound Energy, to file a plan to decommission Colstrip’s two oldest units and to allow the utility to buy additional ownership in one of the two newer units.

Four Montana lawmakers told a Washington State Senate committee on Jan. 20 even a partial shutdown would have dire economic consequences on the southeastern Montana community of Colstrip and on industrial users across the state that depend on cheap power from Colstrip Units 1 and 2.

More: Billings Gazette

AWEA Says Iowa Edges out California as No. 2 Producer

Iowa now is the second-largest wind-production state in the nation, edging past California in the annual rankings compiled by the American Wind Energy Association. Iowa now has about 6,000 MW of installed capacity, with the addition of about 300 MW in the fourth quarter of 2015.

Texas remains No. 1 with nearly 18,000 MW of installed capacity.

AWEA Manager of Data and Analysis John Hensley said about 5,000 MW of wind came online in the final quarter of 2015, the highest quarterly improvement since the fourth quarter of 2012. In both years, federal tax credits supporting wind production were set to expire, triggering a surge in construction.

More: Radio Iowa

INDIANA

Groups Challenge NIPSCO Fixed Rate Hike

The Citizens Action Coalition and the Environmental Law and Policy Center are challenging Northern Indiana Public Service Co.’s proposed 82% increase in the monthly fixed charge for residential customers, saying the boost from $11 to $20 would inordinately affect low-income, minority and elderly customers.

The consumer organization and the environmental group told the Utility Regulatory Commission that the proposed fixed-rate increase would also undermine the viability of energy efficiency programs. The groups urged NIPSCO to improve assistance to low-income customers.

NIPSCO says the rate increase is necessary to defray costs such as $95 million spent on distribution improvements and $90 million spent on meter replacements. The utility says that most of a customer’s bill would still be associated with the volume of electricity consumed, retaining an incentive for customers to conserve.

More: The Times of Northwest Indiana

KANSAS

State Delays Controversial Plant After Lawmakers Raise Concerns

Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration is suspending plans to build a new power plant in Topeka after lawmakers raised concerns about the project’s cost.

The Department of Administration, which oversees the state’s facilities, struck a $19.9 million deal with Bank of America in December to finance construction of a new energy center, which would provide heating and cooling for the capitol and four other state office buildings. Lawmakers of both parties raised concerns that the tax-exempt municipal lease with Bank of America was made without legislative approval.

“[Lawmakers] asked for some more time,” said Brownback. “We followed the proper process, but if they think there’s ways that we can save money, I’m willing to let people take more looks at those items.”

More: The Wichita Eagle

MICHIGAN

DEQ Wants Better Records of Underground Natural Gas Storage

The Department of Environmental Quality wants energy companies to keep better records of underground natural gas storage infrastructure in light of a continuing Southern California methane gas leak involving a failed 61-year-old pipe.

Some of the state’s aging natural gas storage facilities have been in place since 1941, and the DEQ is worried that utilities like DTE Energy and Consumers Energy aren’t reporting enough on the condition of their storage infrastructure. In 2013, the state had more natural gas stored underground in depleted gas formations than any other state: 58 storage fields containing 1.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

“If a piece of steel has been in the ground for 60 to 70 years, it could be corroded,” William Harrison, a geosciences professor at Western Michigan University, told MLive. “That’s why they monitor and test these wells on a regular basis.”

More: MLive

MISSISSIPPI

PSC Says Net Metering Rule Stands for now

The Public Service Commission declined to reconsider its new net-metering rules for solar customers, which have attracted criticism from solar advocates as well as trade associations representing electric cooperatives.

The new rules, approved in December after a five-year drafting process, provide for net-metering customers to receive credit for 7 cents to 7.5 cents/kWh of power distributed on the grid. Solar advocates had proposed the customers receive the going retail rate, which is about 10 cents/kWh for customers of Entergy, one of the state’s two investor-owned utilities. The utilities had sought a lower rate.

The Electric Power Associations of Mississippi, which represents distribution cooperatives, and the South Mississippi Power Association, a transmission and generation cooperative, asked the PSC to reconsider the rules, saying they were an illegal intrusion into retail rate-setting. Entergy said it was satisfied with the rules as passed and is “moving forward with net-metering implementation.”

More: Mississippi Business Journal

MONTANA

PSC: NorthWestern Must Explain Tax Burden Portion of Bills

The Public Service Commission last week voted 4-1 to require NorthWestern Energy to spell out how much of customers’ bills goes toward paying company taxes. The regulators criticized a state law that permits NorthWestern to pass its tax burden along to ratepayers directly with little control from the PSC.

“Year after year, the Department of Revenue uses an extremely subjective method to calculate NorthWestern’s property taxes. State law then sticks ratepayers with the bill,” PSC Chairman Brad Johnson stated in a press release. Legislation to end the pass-through failed to gain traction in 2015 in spite of the commission’s unanimous approval.

“The automatic pass-through of taxes to NorthWestern’s customers is nothing more than a hidden sales tax on energy,” said PSC Vice Chairman Travis Kavulla. “Consumers deserve to know what they are really paying for.”

More: Missoulian

CPP Requirements Could Cost Some Montanans $178 Annually

Montana-Dakota Utilities customers could end up paying an extra $178/year if the utility has to upgrade its coal-fired plants to meet new federal environmental standards.

The Public Service Commission is meeting Feb. 9 to determine whether to sign off on MDU’s 21% rate increase request, some of which would go toward upgrading its coal-fired plants.

MDU’s plan to upgrade its plants may not be sufficient to meet the new Clean Power Plan standards, and some question whether the utility might be making a bad investment. “You shouldn’t want to make large capital investments in power plants that are then subject to other regulations that could shut them down,” said PSC Vice Chairman Travis Kavulla.

More: Billings Gazette

NEBRASKA

Compromise Reached with NPPD on Proposed Wind Energy Bill

Nebraska Public Power District has lined up behind proposed wind energy legislation that would spur projects by removing some barriers for wind projects while meeting the requirements of the transmission authority.

“We were initially opposed, but we found common ground,” NPPD Vice President Tom Kent said. Sen. John McCollister of Omaha helped reach the compromise, which he called “a big boost to rural communities” by providing property tax relief and economic incentives for wind development.

Critics said the bill would essentially deregulate wind development. Developers will no longer need a power purchase agreement as a requirement for gaining project approval.

More: Lincoln Journal Star

NEW JERSEY

BPU Approves 28-Mile, $130M Nat Gas Pipeline

By a vote of 5-0, the Board of Public Utilities last week approved construction of a 28-mile natural gas pipeline, but the $130 million project still needs state and local approvals. The Southern Reliability Link, proposed by New Jersey Natural Gas, would run from Chesterfield, through military-held Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst before terminating at NJNG’s system in Manchester.

Company officials and BPU President Richard Mroz have said the pipeline is necessary to provide supply reliability and to meet future demand.

The project continues to be hotly contested, however.

Jeff Tittel of the New Jersey Sierra Club had strong words against the decision. “This pipeline is not for resiliency; it is for growth and development along the coast,” he said. “The BPU does not listen to the people, they just do what the utility companies want,” he said. “Putting in this pipeline will be like putting a blowtorch in people’s backyards.”

More: NJ.com

NEW MEXICO

Environmental Groups Plan Opposition to Four Corners Plant

A coalition of environmental groups has given legal notice that it plans to oppose the federal approval of operations at the Four Corners Power Plant and Navajo Mine.

The groups on Dec. 21 filed a 60-day notice of intent to sue the U.S. Office of Surface Mining, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other federal agencies for approving the Four Corners Power Plant and Navajo Mine Energy Project last summer. The approvals gave the coal-fired plant the ability to operate until 2041.

The environmentalists contend that the U.S. government’s impact study on the plant and the mine that supplies it was flawed. The groups claim the study failed to look at enough viable clean energy alternatives for power generation at the plant and failed to consider the impacts from carbon pollution.

More: The Albuquerque Journal

Solar Tax Credit Bill’s Fate Uncertain in Legislature

Legislators have proposed extending a solar tax credit that is set to expire at the end of the year. A similar extension was approved with bipartisan support in both houses of the Legislature last year but was vetoed by Gov. Susana Martinez.

House Bill 26 would allocate $5 million annually for residents who install solar thermal or photovoltaic systems at their homes or businesses. They would receive a tax rebate of 10% of the cost of installation — up to $9,000 — until 2019. The proposed rebate will then decrease each year until 2024.

The current tax credit has been in effect since 2006, and over the last five years an average of $38 million has been spent installing solar panels. In 2014, 1,600 people were employed in solar jobs, according to the Legislative Finance Committee, and solar installations have grown an average of 81% between 2010 and 2013.

More: The Santa Fe New Mexican

NEW YORK

Cuomo: ReCharge NY Programs Support Jobs Growth

Gov. Andrew Cuomo claims in a new report that the ReCharge NY program, an economic development plan that provides discounted power from the New York Power Authority, has supported 400,000 jobs since its inception five years ago.

ReCharge NY provides power that costs 5 to 25% less than electricity generally available through the local utility. The report says that 741 customers, including 71 non-profits, are beneficiaries.

“Through ReCharge NY, we’re making it cheaper for businesses to compete, grow and ultimately thrive in New York state,” Cuomo said. “Electricity can be a major expense for any company, but by providing low-cost power to employers we’re making local communities more affordable, helping create jobs and ultimately strengthening the economy.”

More: Gov. Andrew Cuomo

NORTH DAKOTA

Mine Shutting down, Laying off 95 Employees

Dakota Westmoreland’s Beulah coal mine will lay off 95 employees in March and April as it winds down coal deliveries to the nearby Coyote Station power plant, which is switching suppliers.

The Coyote Station will start receiving coal in May from a new North American Coal operation called the Coyote Creek Mining Co., now poised to dig just to the southwest of Dakota Westmoreland. Dakota Westmoreland will retain 40 employees to produce the half-million tons it is scheduled to deliver annually through 2021 to another power plant.

Coyote Station is operated by Otter Tail Power, one of four owners, along with Montana-Dakota Utilities. Owners said they switched coal suppliers because North American offered a better price. Dakota Westmoreland, whose 9,000-acre Beulah surface mine complex produced 2.9 million tons of lignite annually, is owned by Westmoreland Coal.

More: The Bismarck Tribune

OHIO

Power Plant Emissions to Worsen Lake Erie Algal Blooms

Researchers say pollution from fossil fuel plants will contribute to severe algal blooms in Lake Erie, which are expected to double over the next 100 years.

Researchers Noel Aloysius, of Ohio State University, and Hans Paerl, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said that along with fertilizer use, additional rainfall and runoff caused by the changing climate contributed to 2015’s unprecedented algal bloom in Lake Erie. The two said toxic algal blooms are putting Lake Erie’s commercial fishing industry at risk.

The researchers contend the emission of nitrogen oxides from fossil fuel plants, which run into the water, also exacerbated blooms.

More: Midwest Energy News

OKLAHOMA

State Paying Millions More in Wind Incentives than Planned

A controversial tax incentive designed to lure wind developers to the state has drained nearly $45 million from state coffers in two years, beyond what officials had expected.

The state tax commission paid wind companies $27.3 million in cash incentives for 2013, the most recent tax year for which data is available, up nearly 50% from $18.2 million claimed the year before. Lawmakers had anticipated claims would tally $19 million in 2018. Lawmakers approved the credit in 2001 in a line tacked onto a bill releasing money for boating safety.

Supporters and critics of the state’s zero-emissions tax credit agree that its impact will continue to grow as developers build wind farms to meet increasing demand for renewable energy.

More: The Norman Transcript

PENNSYLVANIA

PUC Moves to Expedite PGW Pipeline Replacement

PGW The Public Utility Commission last week took several actions regarding cost recovery that will enable Philadelphia Gas Works to more rapidly replace its aging pipelines. They include raising the cap for the Distribution System Improvement Charge from 5% to 7.5% of billed revenue to help pay for infrastructure replacement.

However, Vice Chairman Andrew Place urged the utility to look for additional, internally generated funds to ease the burden on ratepayers.

PGW has the highest percentage of at-risk cast iron and bare steel pipe of any regulated gas company in the state, according to the PUC.

More: Pennsylvania PUC

WISCONSIN

Dairyland Power to Own 9% of Cardinal-Hickory Creek Line

Dairyland Power Cooperative will own a 9% share of the 125-mile Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission line.

American Transmission Co. and ITC Midwest own the remaining shares of the proposed project. The 345-kV line, set to be built in 2019 and in use by 2020, would extend from near Madison to a planned substation in eastern Iowa. The sponsors say it will improve reliability, relieve congestion and connect to wind energy sources.

Seven possible routes are under consideration, said ITC spokesperson Tom Petersen.

More: TH Online

February 2, 2016

Federal Briefs

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley last week asked the state’s top prosecutor to prepare a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Energy for failing to complete a plant that was designed to turn weapons-grade plutonium into fuel for nuclear generating stations.

Haley threatened last year to sue the department and hold it to a $1 million daily fine if it didn’t complete work at the Savannah River Site’s mixed-oxide project according to its contractual obligations. The MOX project is years behind schedule and billions over budget.

“The federal government has, once again, failed to keep its promise to the people of our state,” she wrote to Attorney General Alan Wilson. “South Carolina will not sit idly by while DOE continues — in violation of federal law — to ignore its commitment to the people of South Carolina.”

More: The Associated Press

FERC Denies Request to Stay Algonquin Expansion Project

FERC has rejected requests to reopen hearings on a plan to expand Spectra Energy’s Algonquin Pipeline project, saying its review of the environmental impacts was adequate. The decision means Spectra can go ahead with its plans to expand the line, which starts in New York state, crosses Connecticut and terminates in Massachusetts.

Several organizations had asked for either a stay or a rehearing, including the Allegheny Defense Project, Riverkeeper, individual landowners and several towns in Massachusetts and New York.

The expansion project will add 37.4 miles of pipeline and related compression facilities in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. A majority of the project, however, involves replacing existing pipeline in order to increase capacity to 342,000 dekatherms of gas a day.

More: Peekskill-Cortlandt Patch

Senate Dems Calling for EPA to Regulate Methane Leaks

Twenty-one U.S Senate Democrats are calling for EPA to step in and regulate methane leaks from oil and natural gas wells. The group is led by Sens. Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.

They charge that EPA’s most recent rules don’t go far enough to control methane, as the new regulations do not apply to existing wells drilled before the rules’ passage.

“Moving forward with this rulemaking would sustain our international leadership on this issue and put forward a precedent that other countries can follow, much as they have done with our current methane commitment,” the group’s letter states.

More: The Hill

NGSA Weighs in with Complaint on FERC NOPR

The National Gas Supply Association said it has “numerous concerns” about a proposed FERC rule requiring RTOs to disclose more information about parties with which they do business. FERC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking calling for more information to prevent market manipulation.

The commission held a technical conference on the NOPR in December. In post-conference comments filed with FERC, the association outlined some of its concerns, even though the rule is aimed at RTOs and ISOs, rather than gas suppliers.

Although the proposed compliance obligations would not apply directly to the production, sale or transportation of natural gas, the association said the vague language in the proposed rule could make NGSA members “connected entities” for providing such services to ISO/RTO market participants, the association said. The group is concerned that suppliers might be forced to disclose commercially sensitive information.

More: Natural Gas Intelligence

DOE, NM Regulators Reach Settlement on Nuke Waste Incidents

The Department of Energy, the New Mexico Environment Department and a number of contractors have reached a settlement regarding incidents at a nuclear waste site and the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The settlement provides for $74 million for environmental projects at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, as well as for Los Alamos and surrounding communities.

The projects include the construction of an offsite emergency operations center, replacement of drinking water lines at Los Alamos and a fund to pay for monitoring in the future. The settlement brings an end to struggles between federal authorities, state officials and contractors related to a series of nuclear waste mishandling and spillage events.

More: Department of Energy

DOE Announces $2.85 Million in Funding for Fed Renewables

The Department of Energy announced it will spend $2.85 million to expand solar and biomass generation at federal facilities. The money will go toward a variety of solar projects, including at some overseas diplomatic posts, as well as a 10-MW biomass generator at a Marine installation in Georgia.

“As the nation’s largest single user of energy, the federal government is leading by example and these projects will reduce carbon emissions, while strengthening America’s economic, energy and environmental security,” according to the department. “Currently, federal agencies are working toward a goal of achieving 30% of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2025.”

More: Department of Energy

February 2, 2016

MISO: 2015 Record Year for Unit Commitment Efficiency

By Amanda Durish Cook

MISO’s operators met their targets for minimizing online generation on 99.2% of the days in 2015, a record.

“This represents the best annual performance MISO has ever achieved on this metric,” said Vice President of Human Resources Greg Powell. “This also represents the best year that MISO’s ever had on unit commitment efficiency.”

The operators’ performance is penalized for Reliability Assessment Commitment (RAC) unit commitments and rewarded when online generation is minimized and sufficient to meet demand and constraints. Each day that MISO operators miss the goal costs market participants about $200,000 in uplift charges. Powell examined unit commitment efficiency and other annual metrics during a short-term incentive presentation at the Jan. 26 Human Resources Committee of the Board of Directors meeting. About 84% of short-term incentives were paid out, compared to 2014’s 69% and 2006’s all-time record of 87%.

miso

MISO gave staff excellent ratings for unit commitment, reliability and compliance performance and said all strategic goals were completed.

The lowest ratings were on metrics for cost efficiency improvement, the customer satisfaction survey and capital budget. The RTO also said the year’s customer satisfaction survey received a passing — “threshold-plus” — grade, with 81% of those surveyed providing an average rating of five or better from a seven-point scale.

MISO rated its market funding efficiency — a measure of shortfalls or surpluses in financial transmission rights funding — at 94.8%, earning it a threshold-plus grade.

Operations spending came in 1.2% over budget, earning an “excellent” rating.

In keeping with the reliability performance of the prior eight years, no severe failures or violations occurred in 2015.

“2015 was a pretty good year for MISO,” Powell summed up.

Board member Paul Feldman praised 2015’s operation, saying MISO resolved the year’s issues “quietly” and expeditiously.

MISO Director Judy Walsh said she would like the RTO to examine what drives incentive payout, as hitting the metrics is becoming “day-to-day” routine.

February 2, 2016

MISO Steering Committee Briefs

MISO and PJM will begin creating an alternative to their current pseudo-tie market rules during a Feb. 18 joint and common market meeting. The discussion will coincide with the retirement of MISO’s pseudo-tie task team in February.

In the 2016/17 planning year, PJM expects MISO to request 2,061 MW worth of new pseudo-ties. PJM has said it wants to address immediate concerns before June 1 and explore long-term alternatives to its current agreement with MISO sometime after. Among other changes, the RTOs want to develop an outage notification process, better firm flow entitlement considerations, accurate pricing based on unit location, calculations dealing with congestion and market-to-market settlements and improved LMP convergence. MISO and PJM staff met on Jan. 5 to review a preliminary operating guide.

Kent Feliks, American Electric Power’s manager of regulatory and RTO policy, asked if the proposed changes stemming from the meeting might affect pseudo-tie requests that are scheduled for March. Kim Sperry, MISO’s director of market engineering, said the Tariff changes resulting from the joint meeting might include an option for existing pseudo-ties to continue under current rules or adopt the new ones. MISO Senior Director of Regional Operations David Zwergel said the issue would be long-term with potential Tariff changes and “lots of discussion,” and he didn’t foresee instantaneous changes.

The RTOs’ meeting signals the end of MISO’s pseudo-tie task team, created last year. “We don’t plan on extending the task team. Its six-month life has run its course, and it’s served its duty,” Zwergel said, adding that remaining pseudo-tie issues could be assigned to the Planning Advisory Committee.

The Steering Committee unanimously passed a motion to assign two immediate pseudo-tie issues to the PAC: concern that the current transmission service request evaluation processes “do not appropriately capture pseudo-tie impacts to MISO’s transmission system” and whether pseudo-tied resources have an “obligation to inform the native balancing authority of the intent to suspend or retire.”

Stakeholder Redesign Continues with Training, Resource Adequacy Charter and Management Plan

Michelle Bloodworth, MISO’s executive director of external and stakeholder affairs, said stakeholder redesign training for chairs and vice chairs of committees and subcommittees should be completed by May.

Bloodworth called the redesign a “landmark decision,” saying it will reduce MISO’s stakeholder bodies by 29% and meetings by more than 20%.

She also said implementing the redesign shouldn’t interrupt other work in MISO’s entities. “Everyone is very cognizant that we don’t want to halt any work that’s moving through committees,” she said.

“I look forward to this time next year us taking a look back on [the progress of the stakeholder process],” MISO President and CEO John Bear said at an informational forum a day earlier.

miso

Now, MISO is focusing on the timely posting of agenda information ahead of meetings. Part of the stakeholder redesign stipulates the posting of meeting materials seven days in advance of parent entity meetings. Bloodworth said in 2015, materials were posted on-time about 65% of the time for the PAC, Market Subcommittee and Reliability Subcommittee. She suggested that MISO parent entities strive for a 75% goal of on-time material posting ahead of meetings in 2016.

Under the redesign, MISO has already eliminated the Trading Hubs Task Force and created a Resource Adequacy Subcommittee (RASC) that will consolidate two working groups and a task force. (See MISO Redesign Proceeds with New Committee.)

The Steering Committee approved a draft charter and management plan for the newly formed RASC, set to replace the Supply Adequacy Working Group, Demand Response Working Group and the Electric and Natural Gas Coordination Task Force.

“The objective of the Resource Adequacy Subcommittee (RASC) is to provide input and policy guidance to MISO management and the Advisory Committee on all market and operational activities and processes that facilitate adequate planning resources within the MISO for the long-term planning horizon,” according to the subcommittee’s draft charter.

RASC meetings will be held on an as-needed basis and be open to all stakeholders. Bill SeDoris, director of MISO integration for Northern Indiana Public Service Co., said once the RASC has leadership, the charter and management plan will be “fine-tuned” to further refine RASC responsibilities, with a final plan and charter brought before the Advisory Committee on Feb. 24. The RASC will oversee MISO’s Loss of Load Expectation Working Group.

“This is just us getting the process moving,” said Steering Committee Chair Tia Elliott. “It’s a good place to start.”

SeDoris said some resource adequacy responsibilities outlined in the Market Subcommittee’s charter and management plan might have to be separated out for the RASC so the two subcommittees don’t replicate tasks. Despite the concern, Steering Committee members approved the MSC’s charter and management plan. Elliott said they could be revised later if necessary. The topic will be discussed at February’s Steering Committee meeting.

— Amanda Durish Cook

February 2, 2016

Study Contemplates New York REV’s Impact on System

By William Opalka

RENSSELAER, N.Y. — NYISO and the New York Public Service Commission have begun a joint study to determine how a changing generation resource mix will affect the bulk power system over the next 15 years.

The PSC outlined the study at the Wednesday meeting of the NYISO Management Committee.

The recently unveiled State Energy Plan, part of New York’s Reforming the Energy Vision initiative, set a goal of 50% renewable energy generation by 2030.

The PSC has started a proceeding to develop a clean energy mandate to reach the goal (15-E-0302). Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered rules completed by June. (See New York Would Require Nuclear Power Mandate, Subsidy.)

The study’s goals are to determine what mix of generation and distributed energy resources will be needed by 2030 to meet public policies, and what gas and electric transmission upgrades are needed to serve generation and maintain reliability.

“There are going to be significant renewable energy resources needed to comply with both the [federal] Clean Power Plan and the SEP,” said Leka Gjonaj, chief of the Bulk Electric System at the PSC.

Models would be run contemplating various scenarios for 2024 and 2030, extrapolating results from NYISO’s most recent transmission needs analysis. Sensitivities — such as the retirement of the Indian Point nuclear facility, high natural gas prices, high load levels and the reduction or loss of dual-fuel generation — will be included.

Another scenario contemplates compliance with the CPP under different schemes. The third is implementation of the SEP and REV.

The study would determine resource mixes under each scenario and the infrastructure needed to support them. Ratepayer impacts are outside of the scope of this study.

Some members of the committee questioned how the study can incorporate the clean energy standard when its rules have not been finalized.

The base case scenarios and sensitivity results of the study have deadlines that run from February to July, with a final report due Aug. 9.

The consultants in the study will be paid about $850,000, with about $550,000 coming from NYISO. The ISO will also be contributing about one full-time-equivalent employee on the project, although several staff members will participate.

Also participating are the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, the Utility Intervention Unit of the Department of State and the New York Transmission Owners.

February 2, 2016

SPP Begins Promotional Campaign to Tout Transmission Value

By Tom Kleckner

OKLAHOMA CITY — SPP last week kicked off a yearlong campaign to promote the value that the RTO’s transmission infrastructure brings to end-use customers.

Mike Ross, SPP senior vice president of government affairs and public relations, briefed the Board of Directors and Members Committee last Tuesday on “The Value of Transmission” study and the RTO’s promotional plans, which include use of social media and bill inserts by member utilities.

The study looked at the value provided by 348 transmission upgrades during 2012-2014, involving almost $3.4 billion of capital investment. The upgrades resulted in more than $240 million in fuel-cost savings for SPP members during the first year of its Integrated Marketplace (March 2014-February 2015), according to the study.

The analysis also quantified benefits “associated with reliability and resource adequacy, generation capacity cost savings, reduced transmission losses, increased wheeling revenues and public policy benefits associated with optimal wind development.”

SPP expects the benefits to exceed a net present value of $16.6 billion over the next 40 years, a benefit-to-cost ratio of 3.5. (The $3.4 billion investment has a 40-year NPV of less than $5 billion.)

“We’ve done something we don’t believe has been done before,” Ross told the board and members. “We’ve taken transmission lines put in service between 2012 and 2014, looked at the production costs, compared that to what the production costs would have been without those lines and presented it in a way the general public can understand.”

Conservative Estimate

Ross said SPP’s estimate is a conservative one, noting that much of the new transmission went into service during the fourth quarter of 2014, meaning the study only captured three months of benefits.

The yearlong transmission study includes an endorsement from the economic-regulatory consulting firm, The Brattle Group, which performed an independent assessment of the RTO’s work. Brattle consultants called the report a “path-breaking effort” and suggested the 3.5 benefit-to-cost ratio “is likely understated.”

SPP said previous studies projected the expected future value of transmission construction based on “latest available forecast data,” but the new analysis used “actual historical operating data” to document transmission value realized during the Integrated Marketplace’s first year.

“Transmission … is an enabling resource that paves the way for numerous benefits to our stakeholders and their customers,” SPP CEO Nick Brown said in a statement.

SPP members welcomed the study. They have been asking for a quantitative assessment of the RTO’s value to the region for years to support their rate cases. “The cost of all this transmission is immediate,” said Dave Osburn, the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority’s general manager. “You see the costs on your bills right away, but the benefits take years to accrue and you sometimes don’t see it. This is a step in the right direction.”

Ross said staff has produced videos, bill-insert templates and a four-page brochure, to which he hopes members will apply their own logos. He also asked members to share success stories, photos and videos.

“We want to partner with members over the course of this year, and we need to do so in the most cost-effective manner possible,” Ross said. “You asked us to tell this story, but we can’t do it alone. I implore you, I beg you, I ask you, share our social media tweets and posts.”

February 2, 2016June 17, 2024

SPP Adds Ex-MISO CEO, NERC Trustee to Board

By Tom Kleckner

OKLAHOMA CITY — SPP last week added two additional members with high-level industry expertise to its Board of Directors with the election of former MISO CEO T. Graham Edwards and former NERC trustee Bruce Scherr.

SPP CEO Nick Brown told members last Tuesday the board’s expansion was necessary for succession purposes. The board now consists of Brown and eight independent directors.

FERC approved SPP’s request to add up to three more independent board members in August (ER15-1924).

Working with the Russell Reynolds Associates executive search firm, SPP’s Corporate Governance Committee whittled 25 initial applicants to eight before selecting Edwards and Scherr as finalists. Their appointments became effective immediately, and the two new directors joined the board for last week’s January meeting.

Kelly Harrison, Westar Energy’s vice president of transmission, expressed disappointment with the selections, saying it is “painfully obvious we’re not making progress on diversity.” The nine-person board now includes seven white men and two African Americans, Phyllis Bernard and Josh Martin.

SPP board Chair Jim Eckelberger responded by noting the eight finalists included one minority and one woman.

“We think we chose the best two of the eight we interviewed,” Eckelberger said. “Most members of the committee would agree we picked the best two.”

Brown welcomed Graham and Bruce in a statement, referencing their broad industry experience with grid operators, compliance and critical infrastructure protection.

Edwards, 62, was CEO of North Carolina-based ElectriCities from 2009 until his retirement in November. He served on MISO’s board from 2001 to 2009, the last three years as CEO.

Edwards was CEO and board chair for Santee Cooper in South Carolina, and one of the founders of The Energy Authority, a wholesale energy and marketing company. He served on the Western Electricity Coordinating Council’s board. He currently serves on the board of directors for Peak Reliability, which is responsible for reliability coordination for the Western Interconnection.

Edwards holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Francis Marion University in Florence, S.C., and an MBA from The Citadel.

Scherr, 67, is the board chair and CEO emeritus of Informa Economics, a research and consulting firm specializing in agriculture and commodities. He has been with the company since 1987.

Scherr served on NERC’s board of trustees from 2002 to 2015 and was also a member of the Global Strategy Institute Advisory Council of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He sits on the boards of E. Ritter & Co., Santa Energy Co. and J. D. Heiskell & Co.

Scherr holds a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University, and a master’s degree and doctorate from Purdue University, all in agricultural economics.

February 2, 2016

FERC Upholds Constitution Pipeline OK

By William Opalka

FERC set back efforts to stop a natural gas pipeline in New York on Thursday when it refused to rehear its December 2014 approval of the project. (CP13-499)

In a separate ruling Friday, the commission allowed limited tree cutting along the Pennsylvania section of the pipeline route.

FERC dismissed a challenge by project opponent Stop the Pipeline to thwart the Constitution Pipeline project and a related compression station in Wright, N.Y. The project is designed to transport shale gas from the Marcellus region of Pennsylvania, connecting with existing pipelines that serve eastern New York and New England.

“In the 2014 order, the commission found that the benefits the Constitution Pipeline and Wright interconnection projects will provide to the market outweigh any adverse effects on existing shippers, on other pipelines and their captive customers, and on landowners and surrounding communities,” FERC wrote.

FERC had agreed to reconsider the ruling almost a year ago. In the intervening months, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals denied a March 2015 petition by STP to force timely action by FERC. (See Constitution Pipeline Opponents Asks Appeals Court to Force FERC Action.)

The commission rejected complaints that the project failed to demonstrate a public benefit, that there was a lack of opportunities for public input and that the final environmental impact statement was incomplete.

Much of the opposition to the pipeline is now centered on FERC’s approval of the project without a completed permit by state environmental officials under Section 401 of the federal Clean Water Act.

FERC said the lack of a permit is not an “absolute bar” from development activities and that its conditional approval of the project does not allow activities that impair waterways.

At a joint legislative budget hearing at the New York State Capitol in Albany on Thursday, Department of Environmental Conservation Acting Commissioner Basil Seggos noted Constitution is a significant project with a large number of stream crossings. “I’m not going to pressure my department to move more quickly than they believe is warranted,” he said.

Also, on Friday, the commission granted partial permission to Constitution to proceed with limited tree felling in Pennsylvania only, in a letter from FERC’s Division of Gas – Environment and Engineering. About 25 miles of the 124-mile route is within Pennsylvania, but FERC delayed similar operations in New York. (See New York AG: No Tree Cutting for Pipeline Without Water Quality Permits.)

The letter notes that permission from landowners in Pennsylvania has been granted but does not address the controversy in New York, nor does it explain the prohibition there.

“This letter does not authorize tree felling in New York nor does it authorize the workspace variances in Constitution’s May 19, 2015, and Jan. 8, 2016, requests in New York at this time,” it states. The variances were requested to avoid wetlands or improve work site access.

February 2, 2016

MISO’s December Energy Prices Hit 7-Year Low

December marked a return to energy prices not seen since 2009, MISO officials reported during Tuesday’s Markets Committee of the Board of Directors meeting. December’s average day-ahead and real-time energy prices were the lowest since MISO implemented the ancillary services market in January 2009.

“December was a relatively mild month,” said David Patton, MISO’s Independent Market Monitor. “The most notable thing that happened this month is the continued low gas prices… In addition to gas prices dropping, oil has continued to drop.”

Patton said languishing prices were driven by low loads, low natural gas prices, strong wind output and the return of nearly 15 GW of generation from the fall outage season.

December’s average real-time energy price was $21.23/MWh, representing a 31% drop when compared to December 2014. Load averaged 72.6 GW, which was lower than last December’s average of 76.6 GW. On Dec. 17, load peaked at 87.1 GW, down from last December’s peak of 93.1 GW.

Wind power alone produced 4,133 GWh, almost double the 2,461 GWh needed to satisfy combined state renewable portfolio standards.

Todd Ramey, vice president for system operations and market services, said temperatures in the footprint were 5 to 8 degrees above normal during December. He said unusually high temperatures complicated day-ahead forecasting and led to a mid-term load forecast that exceeded the 2% error threshold for eight days during the month.

The low energy prices caused capacity factors of coal-fired resources to drop to 45%, down from December 2014’s 60%. Patton said the reduced utilization could accelerate coal retirements. “We’re seeing some pretty significant changes in terms of types of dispatches,” Patton said.

— Amanda Durish Cook

February 2, 2016

MISO Plans Expansion of Carmel HQ

By Amanda Durish Cook

CARMEL, Ind. — MISO revealed Thursday that it plans to increase its employee headcount and invest $30 million to update its Carmel, Ind., headquarters. The grid operator said it’s in need of an expansion because it has outgrown the 133,409-square-foot facility that has served as its headquarters for more than a decade.

Over the next four years, MISO said it could add more than 80 employees to its workforce. The RTO hopes to gradually open 84 new positions by 2020 in order to qualify for $1.6 million in conditional tax credits and up to $100,000 in training grants offered by the Indiana Economic Development Corp. Final approval on both the employee additions and building expansion rests with MISO’s Board of Directors.

MISO spokesperson Andy Shonert said MISO’s investment plans are based on projections that are subject to performance-based checks. He noted that “future investment and headcount decisions are approved by the Board of Directors during the annual budget process.”

“The investment numbers cited encompass a number of priorities that MISO has worked on with stakeholders, including reconfiguring our Carmel location to better support our workforce, meeting critical technology needs and lease payments for our office building,” Shonert said, adding, “MISO always seeks to ensure we are good stewards of our members’ resources.”

A large portion of the expansion investment will go toward updating MISO’s facilities and IT and computer networking systems.

If the employee goal is reached, the city of Carmel said it would consider additional incentives, although the “city rarely offers additional benefits,” according to the Indianapolis Business Journal.

MISO’s decision followed deliberations that began last fall on whether to expand or move into new headquarters.

“Indiana has been our home since we first started, and we are proud to continue that investment,” MISO CEO John Bear said in a press release issued by the Indiana Economic Development Corp. “Fulfilling our mission of ensuring reliable operation of the electric grid requires the best and the brightest. This commitment to our Carmel facility will ensure that we have the people and technology to continue that mission in a way that provides value to our region.”

Of MISO’s 940 employees nationwide, more than 700 work in Indiana.

“We congratulate MISO on its big news today and we celebrate the fact that they chose to expand here in Carmel,” said Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard. “MISO has been a part of Carmel’s corporate family of 100-plus headquarters since the late 1990s and we look forward to watching their continued growth.”

In the meantime, and as part of the improvements, MISO is undergoing an audio-visual overhaul at its Carmel location. MISO Conference Services Manager Mike Barber said the top priority is to “enhance the stakeholder experience” of meetings. Barber said MISO is installing state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment that will include allowing telecommuting stakeholders a presentation view of meetings.

The audio-visual improvements will extend to MISO’s Eagan, Minn., location as well. Barber said construction at the Eagan facilities will begin on March 28 and last until May, while improvements to the Carmel facility began in late January and will last until April 11. Until then, meetings will be conducted offsite via telephone or at MISO’s Little Rock and Metairie, La., locations.

During a Tuesday meeting of the Markets Committee of the Board of Directors, Wisconsin Public Service’s Chris Plante asked if stakeholders will be required to use different software to view presentations online after the upgrade. Barber said that was something he couldn’t answer until pilot testing the new equipment.

At the MISO Steering Committee on Jan. 27, MISO Stakeholder Relations Specialist Alison Lane said a new conference call operator is coming on board in March. With the change, there will be no limit to how many callers can call into MISO meetings; currently the number is capped at about 150 callers. “That is all being folded into our AV update, which is slowly underway,” Lane said.

Lane said Board of Directors meetings and Advisory Committee meetings will continue to be operator-assisted, while all other meetings will not require an operator, “unless an issue arises.”