MISO members again last week asked the RTO to facilitate less stage-managed access by stakeholders to its Board of Directors.

In the past some members have recommended MISO host technical presentations with stakeholders and board participants. Others have said the grid operator could add nonpublic meetings that allow sectors to meet with directors. (See MISO Members Back Voting Rights for New Sector.)

Speaking during the Advisory Committee’s teleconference Wednesday, Clean Grid Alliance Executive Director Beth Soholt said all 11 MISO sectors should appear before the board annually to discuss their top three priorities for the year.

‎DC Energy’s Bruce Bleiweis said MISO could use additional and different means for all stakeholders to interact with directors.

“Advisory Committee meetings are usually four- to five-hour affairs, and we only got to talk to them for 90 minutes on one topic at this meeting,” he said, adding that even during the 90 minutes, committee members were allowed to speak, but not stakeholders.

“It’s difficult to interact with the board during [quarterly Board Week] receptions because I feel that they’re being handled by MISO,” Indiana Utility Regulatory Commissioner Sarah Freeman said.

Sustainable FERC Project Director John Moore said it might help if MISO held an additional annual meeting where members can discuss the RTO’s governance and concerns about the stakeholder process with directors.

“I’m not sure we have that kind of conversation with the board now. I’m not a fan of having just another large, hot-topic style discussion,” Moore. “I think governance is a big issue.”

Gabel Associates’ Travis Stewart said that the Advisory Committee’s hot-topic discussion last week on FERC Order 2222 was the first real policy-driven discussion of 2020. (See Members Counsel MISO on Order 2222 Prep.) He pointed out that the first quarterly hot-topic discussion was canceled, the second focused on the COVID-19 response and the third centered on MISO’s relationships with its neighboring systems.

“I appreciate that some of these discussions have been condensed because we’re virtual this year,” Stewart said. He added that curtailed discussion during board committee meetings seemed to be the norm long before the pandemic took hold.

Advisory Committee Liaison Bob Kuzman took notes and said staff would discuss the suggestions.

Advisory Committee Chair Audrey Penner said members proposed solid ideas for more board engagement. She suggested MISO implement one or two in 2021, keeping in mind that any new meetings or format does not have to be permanent.

“In 2021, we can implement an idea, and if it doesn’t work, we can revisit it again in 2022,” she said.