regional transmission organization

A Pricey Peninsula

Michigan chafes over regional grid planning, providing a policy lesson for the feds.

High prices have turned Michigan against regional planning -- a possible foretaste of what to expect under FERC Order 1000.

RTO Tango

PJM and MISO ran from the altar once before. Now there’s talk of a shotgun wedding.

Utilities in the Midwest ISO want greater access to sell into PJM’s lucrative market. But that might require a virtual merger of the two RTOs — a move rejected seven years ago as too costly, and perhaps still impractical today.

Rate Design by Objective

A purposeful approach to setting energy prices.

Changes in regulatory requirements, market structures, and operational technologies have introduced complexities that traditional ratemaking approaches can’t address. Poorly designed rates lead to cross-subsidies, inequitable outcomes, and perverse incentives. An objective-based approach can better communicate costs to customers in a way that better serves operations and policy goals.