By Amanda Durish Cook

CARMEL, Ind. — MISO staff asked the Resource Adequacy Subcommittee on Wednesday for feedback on the group’s priorities for 2018.

The RTO is eyeing a few initiatives from 2017 that have not been completed, including:

• How capacity accreditations should be granted to battery storage based on operating characteristics;
• If units on an extended outage should still be allowed to offer into the capacity auction; and
• If MISO should take steps to alleviate partial unit clearing, in which the RTO’s algorithm clears a marginal unit on a pro rata basis. This can result in resources clearing a fraction of their unforced capacity values, leading to higher costs than capacity revenues.

Michael Chiasson of Potomac Economics, the Independent Market Monitor, said he was concerned that if a resource decides not to offer into the Planning Resource Auction because of a lengthy planned outage, the Monitor could construe the move as physical withholding.

MISO staff also want the RASC to finalize Tariff changes to implement external resource zones for the 2019/20 PRA.

The committee also will discuss an upcoming whitepaper on resource availability and need, and whether to create minimum capacity procurement requirements to address the increase of intermittent renewable generation and an aging baseload fleet more susceptible to outages.

“We’re going to have a discussion on how PRA rules can support year-round operational adequacy,” said MISO Manager of Resource Adequacy John Harmon.

Ontario Contribution?

Harmon also said the RASC could decide how to import capacity from Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO).

“Ontario is interested in developing its export capacity to MISO via its interface with Michigan,” Harmon said.

Harmon said Ontario has never qualified as a balancing authority to export capacity into the RTO. The province would like to become a qualified external supplier in time for the 2019/20 capacity auction.

Customized Energy Solutions’ David Sapper said he understood that Ontario’s transmission service isn’t analogous to MISO because it does not offer firm point-to-point transmission rights.

“The sticking point is really that firm transmission piece,” Harmon said. Before the province can become an external supplier, MISO must also receive a commitment from Ontario to curtail non-firm exports during capacity emergency events, Harmon added.

Although Ontario has signaled a willingness to make some changes over the last year, Harmon said it’s too early to know if it will create firm transmission service. IESO currently sells transmission rights that entitle the owner to a payment if the price of energy in Ontario is different from the price in an intertie zone, allowing hedging of congestion risks and price volatility.

MISO is asking stakeholders to submit any additional 2018 improvement candidates and suggested prioritization by Jan. 26 to radequacy@misoenergy.org. MISO staff said they will review and prioritize the issues in February and finalize a plan to tackle them by the March RASC meeting.