The PSC's Office of Regional Markets (ORM) is located within the Bureau of Electric Analysis and Engineering in the Division of Energy Regulation and Analysis (DERA). The ORM is a team of economists, policy analysts and engineers who investigate the value and impacts of Wisconsin’s participation in the regional transmission system operated by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO).
ORM staff work directly with MISO, which operates the electrical grid in Wisconsin and throughout the central part of the United States, from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. View a map of MISO's operational territory. The ORM performs a “watchdog” role, advocating on behalf of Wisconsin to:
- Maintain the reliability of the electric system
- Ensure adequate electric transmission lines and generation
- Evaluate the fair and efficient operation of the MISO system
ORM staff also work with the
Organization of MISO States (OMS), a group made up of other state commissions within the MISO region that advises MISO staff and their Board of Directors. OMS offers another setting for ORM staff to represent and protect Wisconsin’s interests.
The ORM also follows other regional and federal agencies or organizations, including the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the
North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), and others. ORM staff track and review new rules and standards put forth by these agencies and their potential impacts on Wisconsin utilities and ratepayers.