Rising natural gas prices and extreme weather pushed wholesale electricity prices higher in 2021, FERC said in its annual State of the Markets report.

MISO officials answered questions about the capacity shortfalls and expensive prices in the 2022/23 auction while stakeholders asked for more supply data.

FERC challenged the transmission formula rate protocols of five Western utilities, saying they lack sufficient transparency and customer protections.

Stakeholders told MISO it should use a consistent capacity accreditation process for both its conventional and non-thermal generators.

The Department of Energy’s lifeline to struggling nuclear generators appears unlikely to save the next three units scheduled to retire.

MISO and SPP planners discussed the prospects of Joint Targeted Interconnection Queue projects at the Missouri Energy Initiative Midwest Energy Policy Series.

SPP and MISO began gathering feedback on ways they can pass the hat for seven joint transmission projects that could enable almost 29 GW of new generation.

MISO’s 2022/23 capacity auction saw all its Midwest zones clearing at the nearly $240/MW-day cost of new entry, signaling a need for additional generation.

MISO convened a special edition of its Planning Advisory Committee to drive home the urgency for more than $10 billion in long-range transmission projects.

MISO announced this week that it’s contemplating adding a class of smaller, congestion-relieving projects under its annual transmission planning.