{"query_echo":{"q":"","filters":{"geography":["Midcontinent Independent System Operator"]},"warnings":[{"code":"facet_value_not_in_vocabulary","message":"Value 'Midcontinent Independent System Operator' for facet 'geography' is not in the controlled vocabulary."}]},"total":{"value":3,"relation":"eq"},"page":1,"page_size":20,"self":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/api/v1/search?geography=Midcontinent+Independent+System+Operator","stability":"beta","ai_marking":{"digital_source_type":{"uri":"http://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/digitalsourcetype/trainedAlgorithmicMedia","name":"Created using Generative AI"},"notice":"Summary and key insights are generated using artificial intelligence."},"results":[{"id":"ucs-000579","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/ucs-000579","title":"The Shaky Economics of Gas-fired Power","publisher":{"name":"Union of Concerned Scientists","organization":"union-of-concerned-scientists"},"document_type":"report","language":"en","date_published":"2022-06","source_url":"https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2022-06/Economics-gas-fired-power-appendix.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The document describes a methodology for assessing the economic viability of gas-fired power plants in MISO and SPP during 2019. By comparing day-ahead market revenues against fuel and variable operating expenses, the authors calculated hourly cash flows for 436 facilities. The process involved converting EPA gross generation data to net generation, mapping plants to the nearest market pricing nodes, and utilizing S&P Global data for fuel costs and variable operations and maintenance (O&M) expenses.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000579#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"The analysis calculated hourly cash flow by subtracting daily spot fuel prices and annual variable O&M costs from day-ahead market revenues based on net generation.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000579#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"To determine market revenues, the researchers converted EPA hourly gross generation data into net generation using scalars derived from S&P Global and EIA Form 923 data, accounting for seasonal efficiency changes in steam and combined-cycle plants.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000579#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Market pricing was determined by matching plants to the nearest independent system operator pricing node within 10 miles; for nodes further than three miles, an inversely weighted average was used to correct for price outliers.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000579#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The study excluded additional revenue streams such as uplift payments and revenues from capacity and ancillary service markets.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000579#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Fuel costs were calculated using daily gas spot prices from S&P Global, though the authors note the analysis is sensitive to fuel price and lacks specific fuel contract terms or hedges.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000579#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The final analysis included 436 gas facilities across MISO and SPP, after excluding 86 facilities (12 percent of operating capacity) due to data limitations or their role as black-start capacity.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000579#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["gas-fired power station"],"geography_discussed":["United States"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["methodology"]},{"id":"ucs-000580","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/ucs-000580","title":"The Shaky Economics of Gas-fired Power Generation","publisher":{"name":"Union of Concerned Scientists","organization":"union-of-concerned-scientists"},"document_type":"report","language":"en","date_published":"2022-06","source_url":"https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2022-06/Economics-gas-fired-power.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The report finds that gas-fired power plants in MISO and SPP frequently operate at a loss, costing ratepayers an estimated $117 million in 2019. This uneconomic generation is most prevalent in steam turbines and gas turbines, often driven by practices like self-scheduling and self-commitment. The authors argue that these inefficiencies, combined with rising fuel costs and the growth of renewables, make gas-fired power an increasingly risky and expensive investment compared to clean energy portfolios.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000580#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"In 2019, utilities in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) and the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) incurred an estimated $117 million in operating losses from running gas plants when operating expenses exceeded market revenues.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000580#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The average gas-fired power plant in MISO and SPP operated without recovering its weekly operating costs for 11.3 and 12.6 weeks of 2019, respectively.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000580#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Uneconomic operation is strongly correlated with plant type; steam turbines and gas turbines are the most frequent loss-makers, while combined-cycle plants are the most economic.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000580#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The highest financial losses from uneconomic gas operations in 2019 occurred in Louisiana, non-ERCOT regions of Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Indiana, and northern Midwest states including Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000580#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Entergy Corporation incurred the highest total weekly operating losses among the analyzed owners, totaling $24.6 million in 2019.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000580#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Certain operational practices, such as 'self-scheduling' and 'self-committing', allow power providers to operate plants regardless of whether they recover costs, which can displace cheaper, cleaner energy resources.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000580#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The Gerald Andrus Power Plant in Mississippi operated uneconomically during 22 of the 23 weeks it ran in 2019, resulting in $3.3 million in unrecovered costs passed to ratepayers.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000580#insight-7","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Analysis of the Nichols Generating Station in Texas suggests the use of self-commitment to keep units online at minimum operating levels even when fuel and maintenance costs exceed market prices.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000580#insight-8","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Basin Electric Power Cooperative's Lonesome Creek and Pioneer Generation Stations in North Dakota both operated at a loss for almost all weeks of 2019, incurring $3.2 million and $2.9 million in losses respectively.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000580#insight-9","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["gas-fired power station","electricity market","energy transition","methane emissions","renewable energy","wind power","solar energy","energy efficiency","electric power transmission","energy storage","demand response","air pollution","environmental justice"],"geography_discussed":["United States","Louisiana","Texas","Minnesota","Wisconsin","Michigan","Nebraska","Oklahoma","Indiana","Mississippi","North Dakota"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["economic analysis","case study"]},{"id":"ucs-000290","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/ucs-000290","title":"EIPC Scenarios for Energy Futures","publisher":{"name":"Union of Concerned Scientists","organization":"union-of-concerned-scientists"},"document_type":"fact sheet","language":"en","date_published":null,"source_url":"https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/02/beyond-the-clean-power-plan-executive-summary.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The document evaluates the EIPC's Carbon Reduction Scenario, which aims to reduce carbon emissions in the Eastern Interconnection by 42% below 2005 levels by 2030. Analysis by Synapse Energy Economics indicates that this scenario achieves these reductions with cumulative ratepayer costs through 2040 nearly identical to a 'Business-as-Usual' approach. The scenario relies on a combination of wind energy, energy efficiency, and expanded interregional transmission, specifically projecting 103 GW of new wind in MISO states to support the broader region. The report argues that regional cooperation and updated, lower costs for wind and solar make these targets highly achievable and potentially 30% cheaper than business-as-usual when carbon costs are valued uniformly.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000290#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"The EIPC's Carbon Reduction Scenario aims to reduce economy-wide carbon emissions by 42 percent from 2005 levels by 2030, with renewable energy providing 30 percent of electricity needs by that date.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000290#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Analysis by Synapse Energy Economics found that the cumulative ratepayer costs for the Carbon Reduction Scenario through 2040 are essentially the same as those for the Business-as-Usual Scenario, as increased capital spending on renewables and transmission is offset by lower fuel and operational costs.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000290#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The Carbon Reduction Scenario would result in an 80 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 compared to the Business-as-Usual Scenario, emitting 358 million tons versus 1,791 million tons.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000290#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The Carbon Reduction Scenario exceeds the 2030 emissions reduction targets set by the Clean Power Plan for states within the PJM and Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) regional transmission organizations.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000290#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"To achieve the 42 percent carbon reduction across the Eastern Interconnection, the EIPC projects the construction of 103 GW of new wind capacity in MISO states and the retirement of 140 GW of coal generation.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000290#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"When carbon dioxide costs are treated equitably across all scenarios, the Carbon Reduction Scenario is estimated to be 30 percent less expensive cumulatively through 2040 than the Business-as-Usual Scenario.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000290#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Actual 2014 wind installation costs of $1,710/kW were significantly lower than the EIPC's initial assumptions of approximately $2,500/kW; applying these actual costs reduces the Carbon Reduction Scenario's cost by over $100 billion.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ucs-000290#insight-7","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["carbon dioxide emissions","wind power","energy efficiency","electric power transmission","Clean Power Plan","Renewable portfolio standard","photovoltaics","demand response","carbon price"],"geography_discussed":["United States","PJM","Midcontinent Independent System Operator"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["cost-benefit analysis","scenario modeling","policy assessment"]}]}