This paper estimates consumer savings, CO 2 emissions reductions, and price effects from increasing demand response (DR) dispatch in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) electricity market. Continue reading »
Analysis: Cost and Emission Benefits of Increased Demand Response in the MISO Region
January 31, 2018 in Energy Systems Authors: Matt Prorok, Steve Dahlke
A recently published working paper by the Great Plains Institute (GPI), titled “Consumer Savings, Price, and Emissions Impacts of Increasing Demand Response in the Midcontinent Electricity Market,” explores the effects of increasing the use of demand response (DR) assets in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s (MISO) wholesale energy market. Continue reading »
Analysis: The Effect of Growing Wind Energy on Midwestern Electricity Prices Over the Past 8 Years
September 19, 2017 in Energy Systems Author: Steve Dahlke
A recently released GPI report looks at the extent to which growth in wind energy has reduced electricity prices in the Midwestern market. In conjunction with the Colorado School of Mines, GPI undertook a comprehensive empirical investigation and found a significant decrease in electricity prices attributed to wind energy in the Midcontinent ISO (MISO) market. Continue reading »
The Impact of Wind Generation on Wholesale Electricity Prices in the Midcontinent Market: And Empirical Investigation
September 19, 2017 in Reports & Whitepapers Author: Steve Dahlke
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator, known as MISO, is the second largest organized competitive wholesale electricity market in the U.S., serving 14 states with over 180 gigawatts of generation capacity, encompassing 6,427 generating units, and 65,800 miles of transmission lines. (FERC, 2017) Wholesale electricity prices in MISO have decreased over the past several years, as both natural gas prices have fallen and as large amounts of wind generation capacity have been added. Continue reading »
Local Economic Benefits of Wind Energy: An Empirical Investigation
June 4, 2017 in Energy Systems Author: Steve Dahlke
Over the last decade and a half, there has been a significant increase in renewable energy generation in the United States. Many states and communities consider renewable energy investments as an opportunity to stimulate local economic development. Continue reading »
Why Large Competitive Electricity Markets Benefit Wind Energy
April 22, 2017 in Energy Systems Author: Steve Dahlke
On April 1, 2005, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) launched a wholesale energy market and began centrally dispatching power generation throughout the central United States. One result from this market reform was the reduction of wind energy curtailments. In fact, our recent analysis indicates wind capacity factors on the MISO system increased about 5-7% after the market launch. For a large 100 MW wind plant, a 5-7% increase is equivalent to about an extra $2 million in revenue per year at typical prices. Continue reading »
Competitive Wholesale Electricity Markets Benefit Wind Energy Production
January 23, 2017 in Energy Systems Author: Steve Dahlke
A new Great Plains Institute report concludes that the launch of the Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO) market in 2005 led to an increase of average capacity factors for wind turbines in the region by more than five percent. Continue reading »
We’re a couple days into our renewable energy and energy storage road trip, and are already seeing some common threads emerge. Continue reading »
The Great Plains Institute is taking a road trip; a few of us decided to get out and see firsthand the changes shaping the electric industry. Continue reading »
Give wind a chance: new infrastructure needed to expand renewable energy
February 23, 2015 in Energy Systems Author: Steve DahlkeThose who have lived in the Midwest a long time may remember the power line fights of the 1970’s, when farmers across Minnesota organized against electric transmission development. One large project required deployment of half of Minnesota’s highway patrol troopers to complete construction. One reason for the controversy back then was infrastructure projects were planned behind closed doors with minimal regulatory oversight. Continue reading »
