PR-12-05 -- MEDIA ADVISORY: PSC To Host Training Session

Contact: Kevin Kelly (573) 751-9300

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- JULY 7, 2011

JEFFERSON CITY---The Missouri Public Service Commission will host a training session on Tuesday, July 12, 2011, for stakeholders and parties interested in learning more about the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator (MISO).

This full day of training will provide a background on the basic structure, function and governance of the MISO.  Ameren Missouri and a number of municipal utilities in Missouri are members of the Midwest ISO.

“The training will provide an overview of the existing and proposed electric markets that MISO coordinates as well as the transmission planning process,” said PSC Commissioner Robert Kenney.  “We will be discussing the impact of MISO’s processes and markets on Missouri energy policy, utilities and consumers.” 

The training session is scheduled for 9:00 am until 4:00 pm on July 12, 2011.  It will be held in the 4^th floor ballroom of the Governor Office Building, 200 Madison Street, in Jefferson City.  The session can also be viewed on the PSC’s website (www.psc.mo.gov).  Please be aware that there is limited viewing capacity. 

Experts from the Missouri Public Service Commission and the Organization of MISO states will conduct the session.  The Organization of MISO states, of which Missouri is a member, is a non-profit self-governing organization of representatives from each state with regulatory jurisdiction over entities participating in the Midwest ISO.

The Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator (MISO) is one of two Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) operating in Missouri.  Established in 1998, the Midwest ISO is a regional transmission organization that monitors and coordinates the operation of an electric transmission system with more than 57,000 miles of transmission lines across 13 Midwestern states and the Canadian province of Manitoba.

RTOs are not-for-profit entities created by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to operate and promote an efficient wholesale bulk power marketplace and to enhance the reliability and stability of the transmission grid.  RTOs play a central role in identifying necessary transmission projects to promote these goals and determining who pays for these transmission projects.

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