Stakeholders will keep a close eye on MISO’s attempt to improve a customer market portal, the RTO’s Steering Committee decided during a Wednesday conference call.

The committee instructed the Market Subcommittee to monitor the RTO’s progress on using more up-to-date information in the Customer Connectivity Environment (CCE).

The nonpublic CCE provides MISO members access to the day-ahead and real-time market user interface, meter data upload applications, and the financial transmission rights and auction revenue rights system.

DTE Energy submitted a complaint on connectivity issues and the state of the data upkeep in the CCE, saying database updates are not being performed regularly.

DTE Manager of Wholesale Market Development Nick Griffin said market participants and MISO software vendors “unnecessarily waste time and resources” during new software testing, “facing extended testing times and elevated costs for software implementations.”

Griffin said during MISO’s rollout of five-minute market settlements in 2018, a “lack of relevant meter data, awards, offers, dispatch instructions, etc.” resulted in a less-than-ideal member testing of the new settlement system.

“We have experienced ongoing production-submission incidents, including unit offers, demand bids and meter data submissions,” DTE said, adding that the problems “reduce confidence in CCE.”

DTE said the problem requires “immediate attention,” especially considering that MISO is refreshing its IT systems as part of its ongoing market platform replacement.

MISO’s Jim Kaminski said staff are aware of the problem and “actively working on the issue.”

“This is quite an issue that we need to take a look at,” SC Chair Tia Elliott said.

SC Mulls Consultant Transparency

The SC may also delve into how forthcoming consultants should be about who they represent during MISO committee meetings.

At the beginning of the year, committee leaders began enforcing a rule that all stakeholders making comments during meetings first identify themselves and who they’re representing before speaking.

The Planning Advisory Committee has reported that some consultants participating in meetings are reluctant to reveal their clients before offering comments or criticisms on MISO presentations.

“There are some individuals in some meetings that are making some rather large requests of MISO. … It would be nice to know who they’re making those requests on behalf of. I think that’s something important to know,” WEC Energy Group’s Chris Plante said.

“I think MISO’s meetings need to be open and fair. And this kind of behavior might not result in fair meetings because of hidden clients … trying to influence the process,” Minnesota Public Utilities Commission staff member Hwikwon Ham said. “I am biased towards the state regulatory sectors and the Minnesota commission. I do not deny this. I want the same of others so I can interpret their opinion in certain matters.”

Elliott said consultants could be bound to nondisclosure agreements. Such consultants also could be representing just one MISO stakeholder or several, she said.

The committee would schedule time at its March 25 meeting during MISO Board Week in New Orleans for a deeper discussion on the issue, Elliott said.

— Amanda Durish Cook