Order 1000 Filing Strengthens Existing Planning Approaches for all MISO Stakeholders

CARMEL, lnd., Oct. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, MISO filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission updated tariff and transmission owner agreement language designed to build upon MISO's existing FERC-approved regional transmission planning and cost allocation processes and enhance state participation in planning efforts.

In its FERC Order 1000 filing, MISO noted that the regional grid operator's current regional planning and cost allocation processes are already largely compliant with most of Order 1000's regional requirements.  To comply fully with Order 1000, MISO and its stakeholders worked diligently for more than 14 months on two key areas:

1. Refinements to existing planning processes, including enhancing state regulatory roles to further include their involvement in MISO's regional transmission planning processes.  MISO especially thanks the state regulators for their assistance with this component of the filing.
2. Development of the parameters and  process for participation of non-incumbent transmission developers in the implementation of projects.

"Our Order 1000 compliance filing enhances the collaborative nature of our existing regional planning process that we use today," said Clair Moeller, Executive Vice President of Transmission and Technology.  "It also formally provides regulators with the opportunity to be a critical part of the process and thus the solution," Moeller said.

The filing also includes language complying with Order 1000's limitations on federal rights of first refusal, which FERC required to enable the assignment of regional transmission project construction and ownership to non-incumbent transmission developers for certain projects.  This process will carry out Order 1000's efforts to enhance the ability of states or MISO to select the most appropriate transmission developer to implement, operate, maintain, restore, and repair these regional projects throughout their lifecycle in the most reliable and cost-effective manner.  The process will also allow for continued reliability assurance through preservation of an incumbent transmission developer's right to build projects designated for local reliability.

MISO will continue to work with its neighbors to improve cross-border planning and cost allocation to address the interregional requirements of Order 1000. Compliance filings on interregional requirements are due in April 2013.

For more information, see the following filing information on the MISO website:

• 2012-10-25 Docket No. ER13-186-000
  MISO and the MISO Transmission Owners submitted proposed revisions to the MISO Tariff to modify the cost allocation methodology for Baseline Reliability Projects. 

• 2012-10-25 Docket No. ER13-187-000
  MISO and the MISO Transmission Owners submitted revisions to the Tariff in compliance with Order No. 1000. 

• 2012-10-25 Docket No. ER13-187-001
  MISO and the MISO Transmission Owners submitted proposed revisions to the Transmission Owners Agreement in compliance with Order No. 1000.
  

About MISO  
MISO ensures reliable operation of, and equal access to high-voltage power lines in 11 U.S. states and the Canadian province of Manitoba. MISO manages one of the world's largest energy markets, with more than $23.6 billion in gross market energy transactions annually. MISO was approved as the nation's first regional transmission organization in 2001. The not-for-profit 501(C)(4) organization is governed by an independent Board of Directors and is headquartered in Carmel, Ind., with operations centers in Carmel and St. Paul, Minn. Membership is voluntary.

SOURCE MISO