FERC on Monday approved a settlement to reduce payments to a Missouri coal plant under its system support resource (SSR) agreement with MISO. The commission accepted a trimmed-down, $8.3 million monthly payment to keep the two-unit Rush Island Energy Center operating (ER22-2721). The new amount brings the total annual Rush Island SSR revenue requirement to almost $100 million.

MISO last year deferred Ameren Missouri’s planned retirement of its 1.2-GW Rush Island plant to keep the grid reliable. Ameren originally proposed a $9.3 million monthly SSR payment as part of the deal, but FERC at the time warned that amount might be too high. (See FERC: Rush Island Plant’s Extension Essential to MISO Reliability.)

Ameren offered the lowered amount in a settlement agreement in May. FERC said the settlement appeared to be fair and in the public interest.

In early summer, MISO said it likely will require the assistance of Rush Island for about two more years to avert reliability issues until members complete transmission upgrades and bring wind, solar and battery storage projects proposed in Illinois and Missouri online. The RTO plans to renew the SSR for another year beginning Sept. 1, and once more in 2024. (See MISO Poised to Extend Missouri Coal Plant’s Life.)