LS Power Files Complaint at FERC Against MISO Market Efficiency Transmission Planning Process

 In early June 2019, in Docket ER19-2029, LSP Transmission Holdings II, LLC, Cardinal Point Electric, LLC, and LS Power Midcontinent, LLC (collectively, “LS Power”) submitted a complaint to FERC against the MISO, seeking to remedy flaws in MISO’s economic planning process. Although economic enhancements below 345 kV can have regional benefits, they are excluded from the Market Efficiency Project Category, a competitive process, because Market Efficiency Projects must have a voltage level of at least 345 kV and have projects costs more than $5 million. If economically beneficial projects below 345 kV are identified and move forward, they are categorized as “Other Projects”, which are not subject to a competitive process. 
 
MISO is responsible for planning all networked transmission facilities above 100 kV, and MISO plans to meet regional reliability, economic, and public policy needs.  Currently, MISO has two categories of projects eligible for regional cost allocation – Market Efficiency Projects and Multi-Value Projects. Economic projects below 345 kV or that cost less than $5 million that do not also resolve a reliability issue fit neither category. Instead, to the extent that these economic enhancements below 345 kV move forward, they are considered “Other Projects,” not subject to a competitive process.  Additionally, the costs of Other Projects are allocated solely to the transmission owner zone where the project is located regardless of the beneficiaries.  The current voltage threshold for Market Efficiency Projects effectively grants incumbent TOs in MISO a federal right of first refusal to build regionally economic enhancements that do not meet the Market Efficiency Project thresholds. A proposal from MISO that is pending before FERC does not remedy this issue, even though it lowers the threshold to 230 kV.  Under that MISO proposal, economic enhancements below 230 kV, shown to have regional benefits, nevertheless would be allocated to a single zone, thus ensuring the projects are not eligible for competition.  LSP Power says in its filing that “[i]t is time for the Commission to send a clear message that it will not allow such end runs around Order No. 1000.”
 
To remedy this issue, the Commission should require MISO to utilize its existing criteria and procedures for Market Efficiency Projects by lowering the voltage threshold for Market Efficiency Projects down to 100 kV.  This would expand the portfolio of Market Efficiency Projects that are subject to competition.  Currently the only reason to exclude projects with voltages below 345 kV from the Market Efficiency Project category is that the cost allocation methodology for Market Efficiency Projects allocates 20% of the costs of the project to the entire region. FERC can require MISO to propose a separate cost allocation method for regionally beneficial economic projects below 345 kV, with such method reflecting the fact that multiple Transmission Pricing Zones can benefit from the project.