MTEP23 Study Scope Development (20220601)

The TDU Sector once again requests MISO to perform focused study work on the potential impacts from widescale deployment of energy storage resources (including stand-alone and hybrid resources).  A lack of understanding around the potential impacts of energy storage resources is a standing gap the sector sees in MISO’s transmission planning.  While past studies such as the Renewable Integration Impact Assessment have done some work that included storage resources, a focused analysis is needed to better understand the impact of storage resources on addressing renewable energy curtailments and providing fast ramping/flexibility benefits to MISO energy markets and operations.  Further, simply adding additional storage resources to Futures used for planning will not provide the level of insights needed to understand potential impacts.  Also, given that technology is continuing to evolve, this analysis should not just focus on 4-hour storage but also consider the potential impacts from 8-hour duration storage and longer.  The interest in storage and hybrid resources is continuing to grow rapidly each year.  Adding to this already high interest, The Inflation Reduction Act contains tax incentives for energy storage resources that will further drive the potential development of these resources.  The TDU Sector is interested in working closely with MISO on this analysis and the assumptions used to understand how storage resources can best work with and optimize system expansion planning and renewable resource generation.

Great River Energy, Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency and Xcel Energy recommend that MISO conduct a Market Congestion Planning Study in the MTEP23 planning cycle or some similar study that considers the historic congestion being realized in the North Region. The MISO North footprint is experiencing above historic average market congestion and generator curtailments, exacerbated by the ongoing generation portfolio transition from fossil-based to renewable resources. Without a MCPS or some congestion related study being conducted, there is no opportunity to identify Market Efficiency Projects that could mitigate this ongoing congestion.

 We understand that substantial MISO resources are devoted to the LRTP initiative, and we fully support MISO’s LRTP efforts, but the major projects resulting from this buildout likely won’t be in-service for a decade or more. Outages needed during the construction phases of these projects will likely induce additional market congestion. As such, other system upgrades will be needed help mitigate or reduce construction-related congestion as well as resolve or relieve market congestion in the next ten years. We think a Market Congestion Planning Study conducted in MTEP23 could help identify solutions to the elevated congestion being experienced in the MISO North footprint as well as possible congestion across the MISO footprint.

The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), Public Act 102-0662, was passed by the Illinois General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Pritzker on September 15, 2021. CEJA includes provisions to phase out carbon emissions from the energy and transportation sectors.

MISO should perform a specific study of the impacts of coal and gas unit retirements in Illinois resulting from CEJA.  This study should look beyond 2030 so it should assume that Tranche 1 of the LRTP projects are in service.  This study should include both steady state and dynamics analysis.  It should include winter and summer peak conditions and include sensitivity analyses where there is little wind and solar generation.  The study could include other Future I assumptions as well.