Northwestern Wisconsin Electric joins Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator

The Board of Directors of the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator (MISO) unanimously approved Northwestern Wisconsin Electric Co. of Grantsburg, WI, as a member yesterday, bringing to 17 the number of transmission-owning members in the ISO. Northwestern Wisconsin Electric Co. serves about 11,500 retail customers in Burnett and Polk counties of Wisconsin.

"Our diverse membership is open to all utilities, big and small. I am pleased that Northwestern Wisconsin Electric Co. has decided to become a part of the MISO network," Matthew C. Cordaro, president and chief executive officer of Midwest ISO, told the board at its monthly meeting in Indianapolis.

The Midwest ISO is the nation's largest independent transmission system operator and will operate as the interface between power suppliers (generators and marketers) and local distribution companies, which ultimately deliver power to end users. In return, under an agency agreement, MISO will collect revenues under its tariff on behalf of the participating transmission owners and turn these revenues over to the transmission owners.

Utilities with more than 52,000 miles of transmission lines, 78,000 megawatts of electric generation and about $8 billion in installed assets are participating in the MISO. The transmission owners who have signed the MISO agreement are Alliant Energy, Ameren, American Transmission Company (Milwaukee, WI) Central Illinois Light Company, Cinergy, Commonwealth Edison, Hoosier Energy Rural Electric Cooperative, Illinois Power, LG&E Energy Corp., Madison Gas & Electric, Northwestern Wisconsin Electric Co., Xcel Energy (formerly Northern States Power), Southern Illinois Power Cooperative, Southern Indiana Gas & Electric, Wabash Valley Power Association, Wisconsin Electric and Wisconsin Public Service Resources Corporation.

Edited by Stephen Heiser