LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — CEO John Bear said MISO has “reached the limits of the space in Carmel” and needs to explore either expanding or moving its headquarters. He said discussions will follow and the topic will remain at the forefront of the next year.

New MISO Members

The board approved two new members: the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska, which provides power to 65 communities in Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska and Wyoming, and Tenaska Frontier Partners, an 830-MW dual-fuel combined-cycle generator near Shiro, Texas, which is connected to both the MISO and ERCOT grids. Jo Williams, director of asset management at Tenaska, said MISO membership was motivated by access to studies and information.

Board Recommends Two New Candidates, Curran

The board agreed to recommend two new board candidates for consideration by the MISO membership.

Phyllis Currie, former general manager of Pasadena Water and Power, and Mark S. Johnson, former vice president of transmission operations for Pacific Gas and Electric, were unanimously approved. They would replace Eugene Zeltmann, whose term is expiring, and fill a new ninth seat on the panel.

The board also recommended the re-election of member Michael Curran, former chairman and CEO of the Boston Stock Exchange and past board chairman.

Directors serve three-year terms and, beginning January 2016, will be held to a three-term limit.

The results of MISO member voting on the candidates will be announced at the annual Members Meeting on Dec. 10.

2015 Spending Boosted Due to NERC Rules

The board approved an amendment increasing the 2015 operating budget by $1.8 million and the capital budget by $2 million. The increases are needed to comply with version 5 of the North American Electric Reliability Corp.’s critical infrastructure protection (CIP) standards, which take effect April 1.

MISO said its compliance review resulted in a “significant increase” in the number of systems classified as CIP, defined as those that would have an “adverse” impact on the operation of the Bulk Electric System if they become unavailable, are degraded or misused.

The $3 million in increased capital spending for CIP compliance was partially offset by a $1 million reduction in other technology spending.

Clean Power Plan

Clair Moeller, MISO executive vice president of transmission and technology, gave the board an update on the RTO’s analysis of the Environmental Protection Agency’s final Clean Power Plan.

He said that although mass-based compliance would be “simpler and less expensive,” MISO also is looking at implications of rate-based compliance. A rate-based method would limit a state’s power fleet emissions based on an average of CO₂ tons per megawatt-hour, while a mass-based platform puts a ceiling on total emissions.

Thus far, MISO holds that mass-based compliance seems to be “a simpler, more direct way of incorporating the value of CO₂ emissions into generator offers.”

“We’re running as quickly as we can to get this analysis done,” Moeller said.

The board decided to add the CPP issue to future agendas. The same day, MISO’s Steering Committee scheduled a Nov. 6 Clean Power Plan workshop in Eagan, Minn., to go over MISO’s interpretation of the final rule and EPA’s proposed federal implementation plan for states that do not offer their own compliance plan.

— Amanda Durish Cook