Annual Generator Winterization Survey FAQ

How do I access the survey?

1. You need a MISO Website Account. If you do not have one see Knowledge Base article KA-01483 on how to create an account can be found here.
   
   Survey Landing Webpage - https://wintersurvey.misoenergy.org/
   
    
2. You will need an Asset Owner specific survey key/password.
   

How do I obtain an Asset Owner specific key/password to access the survey?
A few days before the survey opens all Market Participant registered General Contacts will receive an encrypted email with the password(s) for their AO(s). If you are not a General Contact and need the password, please contact your Market Participant’s General Contact.

Can I get a copy of my survey submission?
Yes. Starting with the 2025/2026 survey year users with a key for a particular survey year can view and download a copy of the data submitted.​​​​​

The encrypted email cannot be opened, can you just send it unencrypted?
Please work with your IT department. Different email and associated security systems handle MS Outlook encrypted emails differently. MISO IT security policies and procedures require passwords to be sent via encrypted email. As a last resort the key/password can be read over the phone.

Why are keys issued for each AO rather than each MP?
Some companies may have created multiple AOs to restrict information access, hence AO level keys. MISO can create a single key/password for multiple AOs under a single MP. Email a request to wintersurvey@misoenergy.org.

Can I use a prior year survey key/password?
Prior year keys can only be used to view prior year responses in view only mode. New keys are generated for the current year survey.

Can anyone with a current year key submit data for units associated with my AO?
Yes.

Can anyone with a prior year key view data for units associated with my AO?
Yes. Data for the year associated with that key can be viewed/downloaded.

Who should respond to the survey?
For NERC IRO-010 R1.3.2 it should be the Generator Owner or Generator Operator. In most cases this will be the Market Participant.

However, there are many different contractual relationships/3rd party agreements that exist that MISO does not have knowledge of. This graphic is an example of the different relationships that can exist for a single unit.

Especially for gas unit specific questions there could be more than one company or department within a company with the necessary information.

Many Market Participants will designate a single individual to gather and submit survey responses.

When is the survey available?
The survey is normally open for about 6 weeks from late August to early October. This allows generators time to gather and submit survey data. MISO will then be able to analyze the data prior to the start of the winter season.

What about special cases, including, but not limited to:

• a unit is not in the commercial model/behind the meter generation
• long-term outage
• retiring/Attachment Y units
• times the survey is closed, etc.?

There are several different scenarios, most of which, but not all are covered as follows:

¹A GO/GOP may determine a unit is not subject to IRO-010 R.1.3.2. However, while no compliance obligation may exist, MISO does ask for a survey to be submitted to help with overall reliability.

²Unit on long-term outage during the upcoming winter (Dec-Feb) a survey is not expected.
Attachment Y status: if the unit is retired or suspended a survey response is not expected. 

³Behind the meter generation, since it is not in the commercial model, is not automatically included in the survey. If you believe you have a compliance obligation for a BTMG/btmg unit or a unit not otherwise in the survey, please email wintersurvey@misoenergy.org to have it added to the survey.

For whatever reason survey data is not submitted for a particular unit, MISO does ask that the question, “Is this unit considered exempt from the survey as determined by the Market Participant, Generator Owner (GO) or Generator Operator (GOP)?” be answered, “Yes”. A reason for answering “Yes” is not asked.

⁴Regardless of time frame, commercial model or unit status, if you feel there is a compliance obligation under IRO-010, MISO will work with the Market Participant/GO/GOP as needed. Please email wintersurvey@misoenergy.org.

Tell me more about Operating and Startup temperature questions.
As the survey allows units to comply with IRO-010 R1.3.2 the operating temperature question uses language very similar to IRO-010 R1.3.2. Operating temperature can be determined from (i) design temperature (ii) historical operating temperature or (iii) engineering analysis.

Start-up temperature is not in IRO-010. MISO added this question based on a stakeholder suggestion as start-up and operating temperature can differ significantly for some units.

Why does the operating temperature question differ from IRO-010 and include a “>4 hours” requirement?
Since the survey’s inception MISO has discussed this with stakeholders and changed the number of hours. The goal is to assure MISO operations and risk teams can be reasonably certain a unit can and will run to support reliability. For example, while a unit might run for a few minutes at an extremely cold temperature that is typically not helpful during a multi-day cold weather event. But if a unit can operate for at least 4 hours that does help enhance reliability during morning and evening peaks.

Is the operating/start-up temperature asked for in the survey the same as the Extreme Cold Weather Temperature (ECWT), as described in EOP-012 R1.1?
No. The ECWT is a calculated number based on actual historical temperatures. The survey asks for the unit’s actual capability per IRO-010 R1.3.2.

My gas pipeline or LDC (Local Distribution Company) is not listed in the dropdown; how can I get it added?
Pipelines can easily be added, usually the same day a request is made. Please email wintersurvey@misoenergy.org. If it is a pipeline that posts notices, please include a link to the webpage. Please note it is pipelines not producing, gathering nor processing facilities that are requested in the survey and monitored by MISO.

Why do multiple submissions have to be made for JOUs (Jointly Operated Units) when there is only one unit?
MISO does not have a means to accurately match JOUs with each other. MISO asks JOU owners to work together to submit the same response for their respective JOU.

Will MISO make unit commitment/dispatch decisions if the forecasted temperature is below the operating/start-up temperature I report in the survey?
No. Temperature data and gas pipeline availability is not parts of MISO market/dispatch systems/tools for generation. While MISO utilizes weather data from many locations it does not have unit specific weather data. It is the responsibility of the Market Participant to determine if the unit can be offered into the market or should be put on outage/derated based on current unit capabilities and local weather conditions.

My data did not change from last year, do I still have to answer the survey?
Yes, please do. Prior year data is pre-populated so it should only take a few minutes to resubmit and confirm for MISO there are no changes.

Should I use the “spreadsheet option” or web interface to submit my survey?
For submissions involving more the 20 units the spreadsheet is recommended, but ultimately it is up to each submitter.

Spreadsheet upload information
The downloadable spreadsheet has various restrictions to prevent accidently changes or input of invalid data that could cause the upload/import script to fail. Significant improvements have been made to the spreadsheet upload option over the years. These include robust error checking such that only valid data will be imported and messages generated for invalid data.

However, to avoid the use of macros (which could be restricted by IT security policies) there are limits to how much the integrity of the spreadsheet can be protected. Please do not make unprotected copies of the spreadsheet or use prior year spreadsheets. Always download for the current year, make updates as needed and upload the same spreadsheet.





I found an error in my submission; can I resubmit it?
Yes, the latest submission will be saved in the survey database.

My generator fuel type, max output and/or fuel type are incorrect. How do I update it in the survey?
That information, in addition to CPNode, LBA, Station and Unit are from the MISO commercial/network model and provided to help market participants confirm they are submitting data for the correct unit. This information cannot be changed in the survey. The MISO Model Manager must be used to make commercial/network model changes.

Help! What do I do if I get an unexpected error when trying to submit the survey or upload a spreadsheet?
The survey currently provides a seamless experience for most stakeholders. However, there are still edge cases that can reveal themselves each year for a handful of units/users. Typically, these can be fixed within a day or two. If this does happen, please email help@misoenergy.org or wintersurvey@misoenergy.org with a description of the error and your contact info. Screenshots of the error can be very helpful for troubleshooting. 

I have a question not answered here.
Please email help@misoenergy.org or wintersurvey@misoenergy.org.​​