MISO’s MTEP 17 Draft!
August 8th, 2017
No, wait, that’s not right…
Yeah, that’s it… Midcontinent Independent System Operator, MISO, has released the draft MISO Transmission Expansion Planning report, or MTEP 17. From the MISO MTEP17 page, here are the live links:
MTEP17 Reports
Full Report
Executive Summary
Book 1 – Transmission Studies
Book 2 – Resource Adequacy
Book 3 – Policy Landscape
Book 4 – Regional Energy Information
Appendix AB
Appendix D1 Central
Appendix D1 East
Appendix D1 South
Appendix D1 West
Appendix D2 Projects In models Documentation
E1 Reliability Planning Methodology
Appendix E2 EGEAS Assumptions
MTEP17 Appendix A1 A2 A3
MTEP17 Appendix F Substantive Comments
Also from MISO’s MTEP page:
Transmission Planning Status Reports
Generation Retirement Sensitivity Analysis – Scope
Generation Retirement Sensitivity Analysis – Scope Appendix 1
And the most important one that shows what they’re up to in transmission planning, the link, and just in case it disappears, the spreadsheet:
MTEP17 Active Project List
And supposedly they’re taking comments from “stakeholders,” so says the MISO email announcement:
Please send any feedback on this report to David Lucian (dlucian@misoenergy.org) by August 25, 2017. Stakeholders will have an additional opportunity to provide feedback when the second draft of MTEP17 is posted on September 18, 2017. A list of report milestones is provided below.
| Item | MTEP17 Schedule |
| MISO posts first draft for external review | August 10 |
| Stakeholder review and comments | August 25 |
| MISO posts 2nd draft | Sept 18 |
| MISO System Planning Committee | Sept 19 |
| PAC – Report Review | Sept 27 |
| Substantive Comments Deadline | Oct 2 |
| PAC – Report update | Oct 18 |
| PAC motion | Oct 18 |
| MISO System Planning Committee – November | Nov 16 |
| MISO Board of Directors meeting | Dec 7 |
Transmission inefficiency, pipeline pumping stations, now this?
June 29th, 2017
For years, for decades, I’ve been going on and on about the inefficiency of transmission, the electric system, and line losses ad nauseum. Y’all know that, if you’ve been paying attention. And here we are, back to discussing inefficiency in the electric system.
The SW MN 345 kV Transmission Lines (PUC Docket 01-1958) turned on line losses. After that close call, line losses were calculated and considered on a very different model, framing it as a percentage of THE ENTIRE EASTERN INTERCONNECT. So what’s a little loss of 0.1%, who cares… well, as a part of THE ENTIRE EASTERN INTERCONNECT, it adds up fast. Let me make this perfectly clear, transmission line loss is substantial. It’s particularly substantial when you’re talking about using transmission to ship lower capacity energy, like wind and solar. If you have long, hundreds of miles long, transmission lines, there’s not much, if any, of that energy that would find its way to its destination.
There’s a “Stakeholder Meeting” coming up:
Register here
Those words, “Stakeholder Meeting” get my attention, because just who is a stakeholder, who decides. I don’t recall getting this email, but thankfully a client who is regarded as a “Stakeholder” did, so I’ve signed up and will spend the time to show up and raise a few points.
Upcoming Stakeholder Meeting: Opportunities and Barriers to Utility Infrastructure Efficiency
Friday, July 28th from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Wilder Center – 451 Lexington Pkwy. N, Saint Paul, MN 55104
Register for this free public meeting
Meeting Details
An estimated 12-15% of the nation’s electricity production is consumed by generation auxiliary loads, transmission and distribution losses, and substation consumption. As such, there is significant potential to increase utility infrastructure efficiency by decreasing conversion losses, improving plant operations, and mitigating transmission and distribution losses throughout Minnesota’s electric grid.
The Minnesota Department of Commerce invites you to participate in a stakeholder meeting to explore opportunities and barriers to utility infrastructure efficiency projects, and to begin developing a framework to improve the overall generation, transmission, and distribution efficiency of Minnesota’s electric system.
Meeting attendees will hear from national and local experts and gain insight into how existing, new, and on-the-horizon utility infrastructure technologies can increase system efficiency, including:
- A presentation by the Electric Power Research Institute, highlighting innovative utility infrastructure efficiency projects and approaches from around the country.
- A presentation from Minnkota Power Cooperative, discussing lessons learned from implementing infrastructure efficiency projects in Minnesota.
- Information about next steps in the stakeholder engagement process, including a deeper-dive examination of supply-side efficiency policy issues.
Register here
Missouri Supreme Court ends Ameren’s Transmission plan
June 29th, 2017
click for larger version
Congratulations to Neighbors United Against Ameren Power Line, and to their attorney, Paul Henry, on this victory against Ameren’s Mark Twain Transmission Project (How dare they name something like this after Mark Twain, he”d be rolling in his grave). The Missouri Supreme Court will not take up the Court of Appeals decision that Missouri does have jurisdiction over Ameren’s transmission project. Here’s the decision from the Court of Appeals:
Ameren claims were bizarre:
And the Missouri Court said, “We don’t think so.” Ameren tried to get it before theMissouri Supreme Court, and failed.
As recently as April, Ameren was proposing new routes through Missouri. Guess again!
tRump on Climate Change – Withdraw from Paris Accord
June 1st, 2017
Listening to him speak is painful. This idiot is talking about “Clean Coal.” Claims that the Paris Accord stops development of “Clean Coal.” DOH, IT’S THE ECONOMY STUPID!
He’s again blathering about 3-4% growth. Delusional.
The Paris Accord hamstrings America? The Paris Accord limits the American economy?
His points in the speech are insane. A load of covfefe!
Here are tRumpe’s talking points handed out prior to today’s announcement:
Reply Comments on Minn. R. Ch. 7849 & 7850
June 1st, 2017
At long last, the final round of Comments on the 5+ year long rulemaking have been filed. A five year long process to enact the changes consistent with legislation passed in 2005, 12 years ago. WHAT!?!?! Yes, that’s how long it’s taken. These are rules based on the Minnesota statutes for Certificate of Need (Minn. Stat. 216B.243) and the “Power Plant Siting Act” (Minn. Stat. Ch. 216E), which is transmission routing and power plant siting.
Here are the Reply Comments, and note there are very few:
Public Intervenors – No CapX 2020, U-CAN, North Route Group & Goodhue Wind Truth – FINAL_May 31 2017
McNamasra GWT Reply_20175-132415-01
Commerce EERA Reply_20175-132345-01
ITC Midwest_Reply_20175-132421-02
Next step — on the agenda at a future Public Utilities Commission meeting, where they’ll discuss changes, hopefully we’ll have oral argument of the parties and comments from the public, and then the rules are formally released to the public for public comment, a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge, and then back to the Commission for approval. Probably it will be August… given the public comment period and hearing, this will be at least a SIX YEAR PROCESS!