The MISO Independent Market Monitor has called on the RTO to develop a penalty system for generation that doesn’t rev up into emergency ranges as promised to assist a maxed-out grid.

The Monitor said it noticed some generators didn’t attempt to depart their economic output for emergency output during the May 25 load shed event in Greater New Orleans. (See MISO Says Public Communication Needs Work After NOLA Load Shed.)

MISO generation resources keep emergency maximums on file that are higher than their stated economic ranges. The RTO is allowed to access units’ emergency dispatch ranges after it has declared an emergency.

IMM Carrie Milton said that on May 25 in MISO South, 140 MW worth of emergency ranges were offered as available, but half of it ultimately didn’t show up.

At an Entergy Regional State Committee meeting July 29, Milton said MISO should create consequences for generation “not moving into the emergency ranges when they’re instructed to do so.”

MISO Executive Director of Market and Grid Strategy Zak Joundi said the RTO is tracking nonperformance of units and is pondering solutions to incentivize resources to dip into emergency ranges. He said MISO also may decide it needs to provide clearer notifications to units when red-alert-level output is necessary.

“We’re finding that there are gaps,” Joundi said of a MISO analysis of past emergency range performance.

Joundi said MISO will bring “a full narrative” to the Market Subcommittee soon. In response to MISO South regulatory staff questions, Joundi said he couldn’t offer a timeline on when the RTO might develop a process to correct generators’ behavior.

Ultimately, resources that get paid for capacity must deliver megawatts, Joundi said. “If not, there have to be consequences.”

Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta said it seemed like some resources “need a stick instead of a carrot.”