Today, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved a proposal from the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) to give voting rights to the recently created Affiliate Sector within MISO’s Advisory Committee.  By providing a vote to the Affiliate Sector, currently made up by entities representing coal producers, electricity generators, railroads, barge operators and suppliers to the coal industry, along with major industrial users and chambers of commerce, MISO’s Management, Board of Directors, and other stakeholders have helped to ensure the unique perspective of traditional dispatchable power sources are heard as part of the MISO stakeholder process.

Jason Bohrer

“This has been a goal of the Lignite Energy Council for about four years,” said Lignite Energy President and CEO Jason Bohrer. “We felt it was important that coal-based power had equal footing with others as MISO plans to upgrade the grid. The lignite mining companies along with regional utilities provide baseload generation from the state’s coal-based power plants. By having a seat at the table and now a vote on the Advisory Committee, we feel our voice will be heard. We thank MISO’s management and board of directors for taking this step and recognizing the importance of reliable, resilient and dispatchable power to the regional transmission grid.”