path operator task force recommendation oc meeting july 15, 2014

Path Operator Task ForceRecommendation

OC MeetingJuly 15, 2014

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• POTF focus primarily on real-time operations, but covers the Operations Planning horizon (day-ahead through seasonal)

• The POTF employed a three phased strategy for meeting the assigned JGC objectives:1. Investigate the current Path operations paradigm and

identify alternate approaches

2. Analyze the identified issues from the perspective of alternative approaches

3. Identify solutions and recommendations

POTF Strategy and Focus

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Planning horizon (> 1 year out)• TPL standards – system planning• Three phase rating processoDetermines the maximum reliable Path

transfersoProtects allocations of existing Path

owners

Background

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Operations horizon (real-time through seasonal)• Seasonal studies

o Sub-regional study group studies determine if the Path Rating is achievable for the upcoming season

o Path SOL is designated as the lesser of the Path Rating or the Path limitation identified in the seasonal study

o Path Operator updates Path Operating Procedures

• Post-Seasonal Operations Planning and Real-time studieso Path Operator subsequently updates the Path SOL as

necessary for anticipated outage conditionso Pre-defined “outage SOLs” are often used

Historical Path Operator rolePerform studies to establish Path Operational Transfer Capability (OTC)

Develop Path operating procedures

Mitigate Path OTC exceedances in real-time operations

Background (continued)

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Historical Path Operator role:• Perform studies to establish Path

Operational Transfer Capability (OTC)• Develop Path operating procedures• Mitigate Path OTC (now SOL) exceedances

in real-time operations

Path Operator

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From the 9/13/12 Letter From Gerry Cauley (NERC CEO) to Mark Maher (WECC CEO at the time):

Role of Path Operators (ORG3)

“NERC is pleased to see that WECC is holding additional discussions to clarify the role of Path Operators, including the potential to implement contractual relationships and make use of RTCA and other tools to improve the accuracy of system operating limits. As these discussions continue NERC suggests that you also review the concept of Path Ratings and whether, as the Western Interconnection has become more highly interconnected, the Path Rating and Path Operator concept, along with the use of nomograms, still has merit for real-time operations. Other Interconnections do determine Flowgate limits for purposes of interchange scheduling, but rely more fully on RTCA for real-time operating reliability.”

NERC Recommendation

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• Revised TOP/IRO standards emphasize:o Operational Planning Analyses (OPA) for assessing pre- and post-

Contingency performance for next-dayo Development of Operating Plans for issues identified in OPAo Real-time Assessments of actual pre- and post-Contingency state

to determine if SOLs are being exceededo Implement Operating Plans to prevent/mitigate SOL exceedanceo Robust outage coordination process to ensure reliability under

outage conditions

• SOLs and SOL exceedance clarified in white paper – aligned with RC’s SOL Methodology and POTF recommendation

NERC/Industry Direction

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There is a better way of doing what we do…• Improve reliability• Reduce unnecessary compliance liability• Increase utilization of transmission and

generation assets

POTF Recommendation

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• NERC recommendation and direction• Availability of quality data, models, and real-

time tools• Current Path operations paradigm

oReliability risksoUnnecessary compliance riskso Financial risks

What’s Driving This Recommendation?

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Identified Issues:

1. The Path SOL concept undermines the distinction between reliability limitations and commercial limitations

Path Operations Paradigm

Path SOL

3-Phase Rating

Process

Reliability Limitations & Transfer Capability

Allocations &

Contracts

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Identified Issues (continued):

2. Path SOLs often do not take into consideration real-time tools and information

3. The Path SOL paradigm potentially disguises other critical limitations

4. The Path SOL paradigm results in “chasing the SOL”

5. The Path SOL paradigm results in unnecessary TOP and RC compliance risk

Path Operations Paradigm

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Identified issues (continued):

6. The Path SOL paradigm pre-supposes the need for unique monitoring of all WECC Paths

7. The Path SOL concept is extraneous and redundant in light of the revised SOL Methodology

8. TOP designated as the Path Operator may have limited ability to manage Path SOL exceedances

9. The Path Operations paradigm prevents full utilization of transmission and generation investments

Path Operations Paradigm

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• Core concept – distinguishing “SOL” from “TTC”

• NERC definition of Total Transfer Capabilityo The amount of electric power that can be moved or

transferred reliably from one area to another area of the interconnected transmission systems by way of all transmission lines (or paths) between those areas under specified system conditions.

• TTC is a better fit for WECC Paths

Proposed Solution – a New Paradigm

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Distinguish SOL from TTC

Path TTC:• Not an SOL• Respects SOLs• Respects 3-phase Rating

process, commercial issues, contracts, and allocations

SOLs:• Facility Ratings• Voltage limits• Stability limitsThese are observed pre- and post-Contingency

Path SOL

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• TTCs represent a blending of both reliability and commercial limitations on the system

• Paths can be scheduled up to the TTC, but not over

• TTCs can be adjusted at any time, including in real-time

• TTCs are not monitored as a real-time operating parameter

TTCs

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• SOLs are pure reliability parameters – Facility Ratings, voltage limits, and stability limits observed pre- and post-Contingency

• Paths do not have uniquely monitored SOLs unless they happen to be associated with a stability limit

• SOL exceedance determined via Real-time Assessments of pre- and post-Contingency conditions – consistent with RC’s SOL Methodology and NERC SOL Whitepaper

• SOL exceedance prevented or mitigated via implementation of Operating Plans

SOLs

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• “The ultimate task of TOPs and the RC is to continually assess and evaluate projected system conditions as Real-time approaches with the objective of ensuring acceptable system performance in Real-time.”

• “In the Peak RC Area, the BES is expected to be operated such that acceptable system performance is being achieved in both the pre- and post-Contingency state, regardless of the tools TOPs have available.”

• “If any of the acceptable pre- or post-Contingency system performance criteria stipulated in this Methodology are not being met, an SOL is being exceeded.”

• “TOPs may use Real-time tools or rely on prior studies, provided that those studies demonstrate acceptable BES performance for the current or expected system conditions.”

RC’s SOL Methodology

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1. Improve reliability and utilization of generation and transmission assets by moving away from the Path SOL concept in the operations horizon, and moving towards full utilization of Real-time Assessments to ensure the transmission system is being operated within Facility Ratings, voltage limits, and stability limits in the pre- and post-Contingency state.

2. Rely on TOPs’ Operations Planning studies, Real-time Assessments, and operating plans to ensure system reliability.

3. Retire TOP-007-WECC-1 due to its redundancy with the RC SOL Methodology and existing reliability standards.

4. Dissolve the Path Operator concept and align the Western Interconnection with the NERC functional model and respective entity responsibilities and authorities.

POTF Recommendation

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Example

• Flow on these four lines generally goes in the same direction – either S>N or N>S.

• These lines could be considered an interface or a “Path”

• Some Paths are internal to a TOP Area as shown here, or…

TOP Area “A”

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Example

• …Paths can connect two TOP Areas as shown here, or…

TOP Area “A”

TOP Area “B”

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Example

• …Paths can connect more than two TOP Areas as shown here.

TOP Area “A”

TOP Area “B”

TOP Area “C”

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Example• Each line has a family of

Facility Ratings• Each bus has pre- and

post-Contingency voltage limits

• These are always SOLs• Therefore, there is no

unique SOL to “establish” or “determine”…

• The expectation is to operate within Facility Ratings and voltage limits (SOLs) pre- and post-Contingency.

TOP Area “A”

TOP Area “B”

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Example• Prior transfer simulations

show that at 1000 MW of N>S transfer, the loss a Facility somewhere results in another Facility hitting its emergency Facility Rating.

• These transfer studies determine that 1000 MW is the amount of power that can be reliably transferred from TOP Area “A” to TOP Area “B”. By NERC definition, this is Total Transfer Capability.

TOP Area “A”

TOP Area “B”

1000 MW

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ExampleThermal/Voltage Limitations• Each Facility and each bus

has its SOL• The 1000 MW maximum

transfer level respects SOLs, but it is not the SOL itself.

• Treating the 1000 MW as an SOL equates to using a “proxy” SOL.

• The 1000 MW transfer limit is an appropriate SOL only when it is a stability limit

TOP Area “A”

TOP Area “B”

1000 MW transfer capability – this is not an SOL

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ExampleStability Limitations• Transfer studies show that at

1000 MW, the nose of the P-V curve is reached and voltage collapse occurs upon the identified contingency.

• The 1000 MW (less some margin) is the SOL (or IROL).

• Transfer studies may have encountered thermal or voltage limitations at lower levels of transfer, but the system was further stressed to reasonably expected maximum levels to determine whether stability limits exist.

TOP Area “A”

TOP Area “B”

1000 MW voltage stability limit - this is an SOL (or IROL)

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Comparison

Current Paradigm (for Path Operator)

Alternate Paradigm

Runs transfer analysis studies ahead of time to determine the Path SOL.

Runs transfer analysis studies ahead of time to determine the Path TTC and to determine the existence of stability limits.

Identifies the Path SOL and allocates the Path TTC among TOPs who operate Facilities on that WECC Path.

Allocates the Path TTC among TOPs who have TTC Facilities on that WECC Path.

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Comparison (continued)

Current Paradigm (for Path Operator)

Alternate Paradigm

Monitors path flows to ensure they stay below Path SOL.

TOPs monitor Facility Ratings, voltage limits, and stability limits in the pre- and post-Contingency state. TOPs ensure acceptable system performance as per the RC SOL Methodology.

Makes adjustments to the Path SOL in response to real-time events.

Make adjustments to the Path TTC in response to real-time events.

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Comparison (continued)

Current Paradigm (for Path Operator)

Alternate Paradigm

Is responsible for mitigating Path SOL exceedances.

TOPs are expected to mitigate instances of unacceptable system performance by the most appropriate or effective means such as:• Internal congestion management tools,

and/or• Local or wide-area operating plans,

procedures, or Op Guides, and/or• Interconnection-wide congestion

management tools administered by Peak RC.

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Comparison (continued)

Current Paradigm (for Path Operator)

Alternate Paradigm

Has TOP-007-WECC-1 compliance responsibility when a Path SOL is exceeded for longer than 30 minutes.

TOP-007-WECC-1 is retired. Compliance responsibility for SOL or IROL exceedances will be governed by NERC TOP and IRO standards at the facility and stability limit level.

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Comparison (continued)

Current Paradigm (for Path Operator)

Alternate Paradigm

Monitors the Path Scheduling limit as a whole to assure scheduled usage is not exceeding the Path’s Scheduling Limit (TTC).

TOP-007-WECC-1 is retired therefore there will not be a violation if actual flow exceeds the Schedule Limit (TTC). However, Path Schedule Use shall not exceed either the Path TTC values or the individual TOP’s share of TTC.

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Comparison (continued)

Current Paradigm (for Path Operator)

Alternate Paradigm

TOPs/BAs adjust existing generation (or bring on expensive alternate generation) to get under an SOL that may be ultra-conservative and not be reflective of actual system conditions.

TOP and RC monitor for pre- and post-Contingency exceedance of Facility Ratings, bus voltage limits, and actual exceedance of stability limits. Action taken only when actual system conditions indicate a need for action.

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The POTF recommends moving to the proposed paradigm as described in the white paper. Under the proposed paradigm:

1. SOLs and TTCs are separate and distinguished, but they work together to ensure that reliability is achieved in real-time operations.

2. The Path Operator Role in Operations is eliminated, but the roles and responsibilities of the Path Operator are distributed among the TOPs and the RC.

3. Establish a SAR to retire TOP-007-WECC-1.

Recommendation Specifics

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4. Paths that are not associated with transient or voltage stability limits will not have uniquely monitored SOLs; however, they will continue to have TTCs.

5. Consistent with the RC’s SOL Methodology, SOLs are the Facility Ratings, voltage limits, and stability limits which are monitored pre- and post-Contingency.

6. TTC is the measure of maximum power transfer across a WECC Path that respects these SOLs pre- and post-Contingency. TTCs will still need to be determined through transfer analysis and prior studies.

Recommendation Specifics (continued)

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7. Nomograms can be used to determine TTCs and can provide guidance to operators as part of operating plans, but the nomogram itself may not be an SOL.

8. The WECC Path Rating Catalog will continue, and the WECC Path Rating Process remains unchanged; however, the resulting Path Rating will serve as a maximum TTC value – not as an SOL.

Recommendation Specifics (continued)

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• The POTF believes that implementing these eight recommendations will improve reliability, eliminates compliance redundancy, and better utilize transmission and generation infrastructure.

• These recommendations are aligned with the suggestions given by NERC and are consistent with the RC’s SOL Methodology and the NERC SOL Whitepaper.

POTF Recommendation

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• OC/MIC/PCC endorsement vote on POTF Whitepaper (email ballot, in August)

• Submit SAR to retire TOP-007-WECC-1• Implementation Planning

Next Steps

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• POTF created a “crosswalk” for each requirement

• Provides a justification for retiring the standard

• Describes how the requirements are already addressed elsewhere

SAR for Retiring TOP-007-WECC-1

Questions?