SPP’s Seams Steering Committee can expect to soon see a final scope of the next planned joint transmission study with MISO.

Adam Bell, SPP’s interregional coordinator, told the committee July 8 that the two RTOs have not nailed down the scope, but that it may not be limited to the Dakotas’ seam with the Western Area Power Administration, as MISO would prefer. The two grid operators agreed May 31 to take a “targeted” look at the newly created seam. (See “SPP, MISO Agree to Conduct ‘Targeted’ Joint Tx Study,” SPP Seams Steering Committee Briefs.)

“The scope will leverage some of the work we’ve done regionally,” Bell said.

The study is planned for completion in the first quarter of 2017.

SPP staff also told stakeholders it had filed an out-of-time intervention in an interregional planning dispute between MISO and PJM, as approved by the committee in June (EL13-88). (See “Committee Recommends SPP Intervene in FERC’s NIPSCO Docket,” SPP Seams Steering Committee Briefs.)

Staff said a MISO compliance filing removed several limitations that hampered efforts to resolve SPP-MISO seams issues, including the 345-kV and $5 million cost thresholds.

Committee Chairman Paul Malone, of the Nebraska Public Power District, reminded the committee that MISO believes the docket only applies to the MISO-PJM seam. “Why shouldn’t these same principles apply to the MISO-SPP seam?” he asked.

– Tom Kleckner