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Lawmakers urge SPP and MISO to prioritize baseload reliability
Summary
Supporters of HCR 30 15 told the committee that rapid retirements of dispatchable generation threaten grid reliability and urged the Southwest Power Pool and Midcontinent ISO to address market failures allowing premature retirements.
Representative Anna Novak opened the hearing on House Concurrent Resolution 30 15, saying the committee must act to preserve baseload generation that she described as critical to grid stability in North Dakota. “Our electric grid is at risk,” Novak said, adding that coal plants provide 24/7 power necessary during extreme heat and cold.
Industry witnesses pressed the committee to adopt the resolution. Jonathan Fortner of the Lignite Energy Council told lawmakers that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation have warned of capacity shortfalls and that premature retirements of dispatchable generation pose reliability risks. “Coal-fired power plants provide essential grid stability attributes… yet they're being forced into early retirement due to market distortions and federal regulations,” Fortner said.
Claire Bigasaw, executive director of the North Dakota Transmission Authority, said state-level resolutions help regional transmission organizations and make clear where states stand on valuing reliability. Zach Smith of the North Dakota Association of Electric Cooperatives added the resolution mirrors what cooperatives convey nationally and to RTO leaders.
No witnesses testified in opposition at the hearing. Representative Novak asked for a due-pass recommendation; the committee later reported the resolution with a due pass.
