The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has cleared the way for MidAmerican Energy Co. to join the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc. through a series of regulatory rulings that will significantly expand the market for Midwestern windpower and make the benefits of competition more accessible to consumers.

“Having MidAmerican join the Midwest ISO will strengthen the Midwestern energy markets,” FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff said. “Membership in organized regional power markets produces important benefits for consumers, such as by expanding electricity supply options through increased access to renewable energy resources and improving operating performance.”

The actions were taken in the context of three separate Commission orders:

• The first order finds that MidAmerican will not have horizontal or vertical market power in the Midwest ISO and therefore can sell electricity at market-based rates in this region. (Docket Nos. ER96-719-025, ER07-2801-026, ER99-2156-018)
• The second order accepts three filings associated with MidAmerican joining the Midwest ISO. The filings are related to financial transmission rights, local transmission planning, and existing agreements for transmission service. (Docket Nos. ER09-1246-000, ER09-1248-000, ER09-1253-000)
• The third order accepts revisions to Midwest ISO’s transmission rates to incorporate MidAmerican’s transmission revenue requirement. (Docket No. ER09-1252-000)

MidAmerican provides retail electric and/or retail natural gas service to customers in Iowa, Illinois, South Dakota and Nebraska. The Midwest ISO is a regional transmission operator that operates the wholesale power market in all or parts of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Missouri.