Despite a maximum generation emergency and hot weather challenges, MISO’s reliability, markets and operational functions performed as expected in August, RTO officials said last week.

MISO hit its monthly — and yearly — peak demand of 125 GW on the evening of Aug. 23, according to its monthly operations report. MISO’s maximum generation emergency would come a day later, when load topped out at 123 GW. (See MISO: Could Have Employed Wait-and-see Approach for August Emergency.)

MISO averaged an 87-GW peak load in August, higher than 2022’s 84 GW. Average daily generation outages hovered around 37 GW, also higher than August 2022’s average of 33 GW. MISO issued operating notices about system stressors on more than half the days in the month.

The average price of natural gas and coal fell to $2/MMBtu during the month from $8/MMBtu a year earlier, causing real-time LMPs to drop to $33/MWh from $87/MWh last year.

MISO also recorded a 3.3-GW all-time solar generation peak Aug. 31, when panels supplied about 4% of total load around midday.

MISO will review the late August maximum generation event and the reasons behind it with stakeholders at its Oct. 3 Reliability Subcommittee and again at its Oct. 5 Market Subcommittee.