After years of its Independent Market Monitor critiquing MISO for making too many out-of-market actions to tame congestion, the IMM congratulated the RTO for dramatically reducing such actions.

While NYISO operated reliably last winter, the season provided “continued examples of limited flexibility on the gas system,” ISO staff told the Operating Committee.

MISO emerged from winter 2024/25 without turning to emergency procedures despite wide-ranging winter storms Jan. 6-9 and again Jan. 20-22.

The MISO South region relied on transfers from the Midwest to handle a record, 33-GW winter peak during a late January winter storm.

ERCOT set a new peak for winter demand peak, with record production from batteries and near-record production from solar resources playing a key role.

PJM credited emergency procedures with improving generator performance during a pair of winter storms in January, including a new all-time winter peak of 145,060 MW.

MISO’s Independent Market Monitor said ramping needs north of 10 GW are becoming increasingly common and MISO should expect challenges ahead as its solar fleet expands.

PJM set a record winter peak load Jan. 22, surpassing its previous seasonal peak set in February 2015. PJM officials said actions the RTO and its members took ahead of the cold snap got the system through strained conditions.

MISO expects its in-service solar capacity to grow to 12 GW by the end of winter, a 50% increase over its existing fleet.

MISO doesn’t foresee a scenario where it comes close to risky operations in the upcoming winter.