Michigan Requests Study of Electric Grid Reliability

Liz Gullett

Aug 12, 2016

This week, the Michigan Agency for Energy (MAE) and the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) asked the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) to conduct a study to help the state better understand the effects of plant closures on overall reliability.

In a letter to MISO, officials requested MISO to assess the vulnerabilities associated with simultaneous planned or unplanned outages at the Palisades Power Plant and the Fermi 2 nuclear energy facilities. They are requesting that MISO conduct an analysis that assumes both are offline, and then determines for MISO Zone 7 (most of the Lower Peninsula) what internal generating capacity, what contracted capacity, what import capability, and what capacity and transmission service from outside of Michigan, could be available to serve the Michigan load.

MPSC Chairwomen, Sally Talberg, stated that after the MPSC’s recent five-year outlook, they remain concerned that the Lower Peninsula does not have adequate electric capacity to meet reliability requirements in a few years.

To read the full letter to MISO, from MAE Executive Director Valerie Brader and MPSC Chairwoman Sally Talberg, please click here.

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