Winter storm emergency sparks change for MISO, Hoosier Energy

Months after Winter Storm Fern put Indiana in a deep freeze, Hoosier Energy and its member cooperatives are still warming to the lessons learned.

 

On January 24, 2026, a Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) Maximum Generation Emergency event occurred, a rare event for all involved. This included calling on Load Modifying Resources (LMRs) and even public appeals to conserve energy.

 

“Effectively, there were a lot of lessons learned from the event,” said Brian Hayes, Hoosier Energy’s NERC Compliance Manager. “We followed our procedures and we followed FERC requirements, so we could check those boxes. We did what we were supposed to do and mitigated risk.”

 

However, it was not an entirely smooth ride, which led to changes for both MISO and Hoosier Energy.

 

Emergency Capacity procedures were adjusted by MISO, including eliminating the pre-event alert. Also, the previous five steps (including nine sub-steps) were reduced to three. This was done, in part, to better align with FERC procedures.

 

But the changes indicate a different overall approach. Where each step previously had a specific consequence, now each step gives MISO options, or what Hayes calls an “a la carte” approach.

 

“Now MISO can say, ‘We’re in Step 2, and here’s the levers we’re pulling.’ It might be just some of them, might be all of them,” Hayes said. “From their perspective and Hoosier’s perspective, that’s hugely different.”

 

MISO wasn’t the only one making changes. Hoosier Energy’s capacity emergency portal also had to adjust.

 

“We revamped our whole software,” Hayes said. “Our software had to rewrite logic and code to balance the whole thing, but we also couldn’t work too far ahead as we were waiting on MISO to finalize their changes.”

 

In the meantime, a test site was built to start deploying the anticipated changes.

 

“We’ve never done that before,” Hayes said. “In the past, all the changes were reasonably minimal.”

 

MISO issued its changes in May with feedback due by May 28 with the new procedures going live on June 1.

 

“We had to revise procedures and demonstrate we’ll follow along,” Hayes said. “Fortunately, we were able to get our operating procedures to align with theirs.”

 

One of the other key areas for those procedures to align was with public appeals for conservation. During the Winter Storm Fern emergency event, there were some inconsistencies within that realm. The new format should make those efforts more clearly consistent.

 

“Hoosier did what we were supposed to do and issued public appeals for energy conservation as initially directed by MISO,” said Hoosier Energy Vice President of Strategic Communications Chad Mertz. “Follow-up instructions from MISO were inconsistent and not aligned with previously discussed procedures, which created confusion amongst utilities. Some issued the public appeals and others did not.”

 

During the recent Summer Reliability Forum hosted by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, MISO leadership acknowledged the inconsistencies and resulting confusion.

 

“The new process for public appeals is a standalone action called by MISO, which should help to eliminate confusion amongst the utilities,” said Mertz.

 

Overall, many of the changes made won’t be readily apparent.

 

“Members won’t feel a ton of change,” Hayes said. “Steps are different, but the communication will feel the same despite different timing and a different sequence.”