The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) over the past week separately expressed concerns
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MISO report concludes much higher levels of renewables integration are achievable
CARMEL, Indiana (February 10, 2021) The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) today published the Renewable Integration Impact Assessment (RIIA), an analysis that evaluates increasing amounts of wind and solar resources within the MISO grid and the broader bulk electric system. RIIA represents the culmination of more than four years of analysis as well as significant input from stakeholders.
Dive Brief:
The North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) expects there to be sufficient resource adequacy across most of the electric grid for the next decade, but also concluded in its 2020 Long-Term Reliability Assessment that there is a growing risk related to the high penetration of renewables in some regions. Nearly all parts of the Western Interconnection, Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and Midcontinent ISO (MISO) demonstrate increased risk over the next five years, the reliability organization said in its assessment released Tuesday.
Grid operators say they are taking steps to address the risks, while advocates for coal-fired power say the report highlights the importance of maintaining baseload plants for system reliability. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, since 2011 about 95 GW of coal capacity has been retired and and another 25 GW is slated to shut down by 2025.