Extreme winter weather has placed much of the country’s heartland in a deep freeze and has MISO, SPP and ERCOT scrambling to meet anticipated record demand.

MISO is seeking ways to modify its annual transmission plan and make it easier for stakeholders to suggest alternatives to TOs’ project proposals.

A study finds that MISO can reliably operate with a fuel mix heavy on renewables, but only if its members dramatically expand transmission.

MISO said it is seeking ways to help slow-starting units make more informed decisions but won’t plunge into developing a financially binding forward market.

SPP’s average hourly load was off 7% last fall from the previous two years, the RTO’s MMU said in its latest quarterly State of the Market report.

MISO’s plan to extend payment arrangements for market participants that use the Midwest-to-South transmission path is destined for settlement proceedings.

MISO hopes to have a more nuanced pricing plan before the next hurricane contorts transmission towers.

FERC allowed MISO to edit its tariff to clear up performance rules for load-modifying resources. Its new ruleset clarifies how performance is evaluated.

MISO said it is close to completing a proposal to create a four-season capacity market after floating a rudimentary plan with skeptical stakeholders.

A new FERC rule says MISO interconnection customers with signed agreements can no longer abandon generation projects without assuming financial risk.