ST. PAUL, Minn. — Google gained a foothold in the MISO system last week as the RTO’s Board of Directors approved a subsidiary’s membership application.
Google Energy joined MISO’s Eligible End-User Customers sector. The subsidiary was founded nearly a decade ago in a push to power its parent’s operations with 100% renewable energy. It has multiple investments and power purchase agreements with wind farms along the western border of MISO’s footprint, enough by 2017 to match its annual electricity consumption.
“Although our 100% renewable milestone signifies that we buy enough renewable energy over the course of a year to match our annual electricity consumption, it does not mean that our facilities are matched with renewable energy in every hour of every day,” the company says. Its ultimate goal “is to source enough carbon-free energy to match our electricity consumption in all places, at all times.”
MISO President of Market Development Strategy Richard Doying said the RTO is anticipating more non-traditional membership applications like Google as more companies become enmeshed with distributed resources’ push to join wholesale markets.
The RTO’s approval of Google’s membership came a day before the company announced a $2 billion global investment in solar and wind generation across 18 new renewable energy deals.
The board also allowed Upper Peninsula Power Co. into the Municipals, Cooperatives and Transmission Dependent Utilities sector. Both applications for membership were approved unanimously.
Lurie Joins Board
The board also filled a vacant seat with former New York Power Authority CFO Robert Lurie. The selection was made without input from MISO membership, as the seat was vacated earlier in the year by Thomas Rainwater. MISO’s bylaws stipulate that vacancies are dealt with by solely the board, and not through the usual Nominating Committee process and subsequent stakeholder vote.
“We had a robust discussion of the candidates and their qualifications, and I think he will serve MISO well,” Chair Phyllis Currie said.
MISO could have seen up to four new faces on its board in 2020, but the Nominating Committee opted only for existing board members as eligible candidates: Todd Raba, Trip Doggett and Barbara Krumsiek. (See MISO Board of Director Briefs: June 20, 2019.) The RTO will again use VoteNet Solutions to conduct its membership vote on the candidates. Electronic polls are set to open Thursday for 37 days.
This year’s Nominating Committee consisted of Directors Baljit Dail, Mark Johnson and Theresa Wise; the two stakeholder seats were occupied by Minnesota Public Utilities Commissioner Matthew Schuerger and Ameren’s Jeff Dodd.
— Amanda Durish Cook
