CARMEL, Ind., Feb. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — MISO’s Board of Directors yesterday approved the applications of four new transmission-owning members: Cleco Power LLC, Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government, Minnesota Municipal Power Agency and Prairie Power Inc. Their memberships will continue to drive value for MISO members and their customers through efficient reliability, market operations, planning and innovation.

“We are pleased to welcome these new members to MISO,” said Steve Kozey, Senior Vice President, Legal and Compliance Services. “Their decisions to join will bring value to our footprint by further enhancing the measurable benefits realized through MISO’s Value Proposition.”

As a fully integrated transmission-owning member of MISO, each will benefit from MISO’s competitive markets, diverse generation supply, and large-scale planning and operating.

Both Cleco Power LLC and Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government plan to integrate in December 2013. Cleco owns nine generating units serving approximately 281,000 customers in Louisiana, and plans to integrate more than 2,500 megawatts. Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government has more than 933 miles of transmission and serves 64,000 retail customers.

Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (MMPA) is comprised of 11 member municipal utilities and provides power to nearly 60,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers. Prairie Power Inc.(PPI) is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric generation and transmission cooperative based in Jacksonville, Ill.

About MISO
MISO ensures reliable operation of, and equal access to high-voltage power lines in 15 U.S. states and the Canadian province of Manitoba. MISO manages one of the world’s largest energy markets, with more than $18 billion in annual gross market energy transactions. MISO was approved as the nation’s first regional transmission organization in 2001. The not-for-profit 501(C)(4) organization is governed by an independent Board of Directors and is headquartered in Carmel, Ind., with operations centers in Carmel and St. Paul, Minn. Membership is voluntary.

SOURCE MISO