DOCSLIB.ORG

Tn the Matter of the Application of Southwest Power Pool, Inc

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Tn the Matter of the Application of Southwest Power Pool, Inc TN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF SOUTHWEST POWER POOL, INC. FOR A CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY FOR THE LIMITED DOCKET NO. 04-137-U PURPOSE OF MANAGING AND ORDERNO. 6 COORDINATING THE USE OF CERTAIN FACILITIES LOCATED WITHIN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF ) OKLAHOMA GAS & ELECTRIC COMPANY ) FOR APPROVAL OF ITS PARTICIPATION IN ) DOCKET NO. 04- 1 11 -U THE SOUTHWEST POWER POOL REGIONAL ) ORDERNO. 1 TRANSMISSION ORGANIZATION 1 IN THE MATTER OF A PROTECTIVE ORDER ) FOR THE COST BENEFIT STUDY 1 REGARDING THE SOUTHWEST POWER ) DOCKET NO. 04-129-U POOL REGIONAL TRANSMISSION 1 ORDERNO. 2 ORGANIZATION IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF ) SOUTHWESTERN ELECTRIC POWER ) COMPANY’S RELATIONSHIP TO THE ) DOCKET NO. 04-143-U SOUTHWEST POWER POOL REGIONAL ORDERNO. 1 TRANSMISSION ORGANIZATION ) IN THE MATTER OF THE EMPIRE DISTRICT ) ELECTRIC COMPANY APPLICATION TO TRANSFER FUNCTIONAL CONTROL OF 1 DOCKET NO. 05-132-U CERTAIN TRANSMISSION ASSETS TO THE ) ORDERNO. 1 SOUTHWEST POWER POOL, INC. ) ORDER In this Order, the Commission (a) grants the Application of Southwest Power Pool, Inc. (“SPP”) for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (“CCN’) to transact the business Dockets No. 04-137-U; 04-1 11-U; 04-129-U; 04-143-U; 05-132-U Orders No. 6, 1, 2, 1, & 1 respectively Page 2 of 40 of a public utility in Arkansas by asserting functional control of certain transmission facilities in Arkansas; (b) denies SPP’s request for waiver of the applicability of various provisions of state law; and (c) grants, subject to certain conditions, the Applications of Southwestern Electric Power Company (“SWEPCO”), Oklahoma Gas & Electric (“OG&E”) and Empire District Electric Company (“Empire”) to transfer functional control of their Arkansas transmission facilities to SPP. This Order is organized as follows: Section I is the procedural history of the dockets; Section I1 reviews the background facts that are applicable to all the applications before the Commission; Section I11 addresses SPP’s Application for a CCN; Section IV addresses SPP’s request for the Commission to declare that certain Arkansas statutes are inapplicable; and Section V addresses the various utility Applications for authority to transfer fwnctional control of transmission assets to SPP. 1. Procedural History A. SPP’s Application for CCN and Request for Declaration of Inapplicability of Certain Arkansas Statutes SPP is a Regional Transmission Organization (“RTO”) approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”). As an RTO, SPP provides transmission service over transmission facilities owned by its public utility and non-public utility members. On October 12, 2004, SPP filed in Docket No. 04-137-U an Application for a Certzjicate of Public Convenience and Necessity (“Application”). SPP requests a CCN “to transact the business of an electric public utility in the State of Arkansas only to the extent that it will be asserting functional control over those transmission assets which will be placed under SPP’s Dockets No. 04-137-U; 04-1 11-U; 04-129-U; 04-143-U; 05-132-U Orders No. 6, 1, 2, 1, & 1 respectively Page 3 of 40 control upon this Commission‘s approval of the applications of the affected jurisdictional utilities that are members of SPP.” Application at 7 13. SPP also requests “that the Commission declare those regulatory statutes which otherwise would apply to traditional electric utilities to be inapplicable to SPP.” Application at 7 16. SPP’s Application included Testimony and Exhibits in support of its Application. On August 4, 2005, SPP filed Supplemental Testimony including a Cost-Benefit Analysis (“Study”) of implementation of a regional Energy Imbalance Service (“EIS”) market within SPP. B. The Utilities’ Applications to Transfer Control In separate dockets, four utilities have sought permission to transfer functional control of their transmission facilities to the SPP RTO. On October 2 1,2004, SWEPCO filed its request in Docket No. 04-143-U. OG&E filed its request in Docket No. 04-1 1 1-U on August 5, 2004 and Empire filed its request on November 4,2005 in Docket No. 05- 132-U. C. Consolidation and Hearing On September 29, 2005, the Commission issued Orders consolidating Docket Nos. 04-1 11-U, 04-129-U, and 04-143-U with the SPP CCN docket, Docket No. 04-137-U. On November 22, 2005, Docket No. 05-132-U was consolidated with Docket No. 04-137-U by Commission Order. The Commission held a public hearing to consider the consolidated Applications on April 4, 2006. Entering appearances at the hearing were SPP, SWEPCO, OG&E, Empire, the Attorney General of the State of Arkansas (“AG”), and the General Staff of the Commission (“Staff ’). Dockets No. 04-137-U; 04-1 11-U; 04-129-U; 04-143-U; 05-132-U Orders No. 6, 1,2, 1, & 1 respectively Page 4 of 40 11. Background Facts Applicable to All Applications The Commission has before it four requests: SPP’s request for a CCN, and three utilities’ requests to transfer functional control of their transmission assets to SPP. Although SPP’s request involves a statutory provision different from that applicable to the utilities’ requests, there is a single question common to all four applications: will SPP’s functional control of the utilities’ transmission facilities benefit Arkansas ratepayers and serve the public interest? Because the facts necessary to answer this question are relevant to all four applications, we will set them forth here first; then apply them to the four applications. A. Electric Industry Changes Leading to the SPP RTO The emergence of RTOs is the consequence of three decades of federal policy efforts to introduce and foster wholesale electric generation competition. The main events leading to this point are as follows: Introduction of qualifying facilities: The Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (“PURPA”) created a new type of nonutility generator designated as a qualifying facility (“QF”). A QF was a cogenerator, or a small power producer, the latter usually producing renewable energy. PURPA required each electric utility to buy capacity and energy at the utility’s avoided cost. This utility obligation to purchase power from cogenerators stimulated the entry of many new generators into wholesale generation markets, demonstrating the fact that electric generation was not a natural monopoly, but could in fact be provided in the context of a competitive wholesale market. Introduction of exempt wholesale generators: Congress accelerated the market entry of wholesale generators with the Energy Policy Act of 1992. That Act established another Dockets No. 04-137-U; 04-1 11-U; 04-129-U; 04-143-U; 05-132-U Orders No. 6, 1,2, 1, & 1 respectively Page 5 of 40 category of electric generator, the exempt wholesale generator (“EWG”), and exempted it from the ownership restrictions of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 (“PUHCA”). The effect of the 1992 Act was to remove all limits on the types of entities permitted to own wholesale generation, and where they could own them.’ Utility-by-utility transmission access: Over the next four years, FERC recognized that wholesale electric generation markets could not grow if generation-owning utilities unilaterally controlled access to the transmission highways, because they would use that control to favor their own generation over the generation of their competitors. To address the problem, FERC issued its Order 888 in April 1996, based on its authority under the Federal Power Act (“FPA”) of 1935 to prevent undue discrimination in transmission service.2 Order 888 required all transmission-owning utilities subject to FERC jurisdiction to file a pro forma Open Access Transmission Tariff (“OATT”). The OATT: (a) obligates the transmission owner to make its transmission system available to wholesale generation competitors on terms comparable to how the owner uses its transmission system for its own generation; and (b) requires electric utilities to take transmission services for all of its wholesale sales and purchases of energy under that same tariff. Accompanying Order 888 was Order No. 889,3 requiring that all transmission ’ Congress repealed PUHCA in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Energy Policy Act of 2005, Pub. L. No. 109-58, sec. 1263, 119 Stat. 594, (2005) (EPAct 2005). Promoting Wholesale Competition Through Open Access Nondiscriminatory Transmission Services by Public Utilities and Recovery of Stranded Costs by Public Utilities and Transmitting Utilities, Order No. 888, FERC Stats. & Regs. 31,036 (1996), order on reh‘g, Order No. 888-A, FERC Stats. & Regs. 31,048 (1997), order on reh’g, Order No. 888-B, 81 FERC 7 61,248 (1997), order on reh‘g, Order No. 888-C, 82 FERC 161,046 (1998), afd in relevant part sub nom. Transmission Access Policy Study Group v. FERC, 225 F.3d 667 (D.C. Cir. 2000), afdsub nom. New York v. FERC, 535 U.S. 1 (2002). Open Access Same-Time Information System (Formerly Real-Time Information Network) and Dockets No. 04-137-U; 04-1 1l-U; 04-129-U; 04-143-U; 05-132-U Orders No. 6, 1,2, 1, & 1 respectively Page 6 of 40 reservations made pursuant to the OATT be scheduled online, using an Open Access Same-Time Information System (“OASIS”) available to all potential transmission users. The purpose common to Orders 888 and 889 was independence: independence of transmission access and pricing from the influence of market participants, particularly electric utilities that owned both generation and transmission. Regional transmission service: Order 888 provided wholesale generators with transmission access on a utility-by-utility basis. FERC recognized that the transmission system is a inultistate, multi-utility machine, whose physical operation and planning is most efficiently conducted on a regional basis rather than a utility-by-utility basis.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Retail Demand Response in Southwest Power Pool
    ERNEST ORLANDO LAWRENCE BERKELEY NATIONAL LABORATORY LBNL-1470E Retail Demand Response in Southwest Power Pool Ranjit Bharvirkar, Grayson Heffner and Charles Goldman Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Environmental Energy Technologies Division January 2009 The work described in this report was funded by the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Permitting, Siting and Analysis of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231. Disclaimer This document was prepared as an account of work sponsored by the United States Government. While this document is believed to contain correct information, neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor The Regents of the University of California, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by its trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof, or The Regents of the University of California. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof, or The Regents of the University of California. Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is an equal opportunity employer. LBNL-1470E Retail Demand Response in Southwest Power Pool Prepared for the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Permitting, Siting, and Analysis U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Reliability Conference Presentation
    MRO 2020 Virtual Reliability Conference MRO Shares the ERO Vision: A highly reliable and secure North American bulk power system. Key Characteristics of HEROs 3 The hallmark of reliability in complex, interdependent systems is not that errors won’t occur... It’s that errors and operating anomalies won’t create an uncontrolled, cascading event. What It Means To Be Reliable 4 Our Footprint 195 Registered Entities 3 Reliability Coordinators 4 Planning Coordinators 2 RTOs 5 Outreach and Engagement Provide guidance to individual registered entities regarding specific concerns • [email protected] Host conferences and training events on matters important to reliability and security of the bulk power system Assist industry experts in developing guidance documents • Standard Application Guides • Best practice whitepapers Publish tips, lessons learned and recommendations Bimonthly newsletter: Midwest Reliability Matters 6 WebEx Chat Feature Open the Chat Feature: The chat feature will appear to the right of the WebEx window. Attendees should chat their questions to: “Dana Klem”. Select Dana Klem by using the drop down arrow in the “To” field. 7 MRO Advisory Council Structure MRO Members MRO Board of Directors President and Board CEO Committees Governance and Personnel Organizational Group Finance and Audit MRO Staff Committee Oversight Committee Committee CMEP Advisory Security Advisory Reliability Council Council Advisory Council Security Advisory NERC Standards Council Threat Special Protection System Review Forum Forum Working Group Subject Matter Expert Protective Relay Subgroup Teams 8 What is the Reliability Advisory Council? The MRO Reliability Advisory Council was established to provide advice and council to the MRO Board, staff, and members on risks to the regional bulk power system, as well as increase outreach and awareness in key risk areas.
    [Show full text]
  • Engrossed Senate Bill 2313—Testimony in Support House Energy and Natural Resources, Chairman Porter March 18, 2021
    PO Box 1856 Bismarck, ND 58502 701-258-8864 1-800-981-5132 www.usnd.org Engrossed Senate Bill 2313—Testimony in Support House Energy and Natural Resources, Chairman Porter March 18, 2021 Chairman Porter, members of the committee, I am Carlee McLeod, President of the Utility Shareholders of North Dakota (USND), and I come before you to testify in support of Engrossed Senate Bill 2313 on behalf of my members, including ALLETE, Montana Dakota Utilities, Otter Tail Power Company, and Xcel Energy. When this bill was heard in the Senate committee, it was in the midst of the weather event (Feb 14-20) that crippled the south and disrupted power in several transmission organizations, including the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), and Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). Since that time, we’ve gleaned some clear-cut information, but it will be months of investigation before we see the full picture. Much of what we know is too complicated for the soundbite driven crowd, and messaging of varying levels of truth have filled the void that hasn’t been or can’t be filled quickly or simply. As this body moves to develop germane energy policy, it is imperative that we all understand the same truths about this event and what they mean about our reliability and resource adequacy. Without that common understanding, subsequent policy is unlikely to address any real, substantive issues. Bearing that in mind, we want to thank you for your time and attention last week as representatives from regional transmission organizations (RTOs) and utilities shared information about their experiences during the event.
    [Show full text]
  • Southwest Power Pool, Inc. Docket No. PA08-2-000
    20090115-3088 FERC PDF (Unofficial) 01/15/2009 126 FERC ¶ 61,045 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION Before Commissioners: Joseph T. Kelliher, Chairman; Suedeen G. Kelly, Marc Spitzer, Philip D. Moeller, and Jon Wellinghoff. Southwest Power Pool, Inc. Docket No. PA08 -2-000 ORDER APPROVING AUDIT REPORT , DETERMINING ISSUE O F SEPARATION OF FUNCTIONS, AND DIRECTING COMPLIANCE AND OTHER CORRECTIVE ACTIONS (Issued January 15, 2009) 1. In this orde r, the Commission approve s the attached Audit Report (Report) prepared by the Division of Audits in the Office of Enforcement (OE) , with the assistance of staff from the Office of Electric Reliability . The Report contains staff’s findings and recommendati ons with respect to Southwest Power Pool, Inc.’s (SPP ’s ) Regional Entity (RE) function. 1 The audit addresses SPP’s compliance with (1) the SPP , Inc. Bylaws, (2) the Delegation Agreement between the NERC and SPP , and the conditions included in the relevant Commission orders , and (3) other obligations and responsibilities directed by the Commission . 2. This audit was intended to enable the Commission to determine whether SPP’s governance structure creates a “very strong” separation between its RTO and RE fun ctions , as required by the Commission in Order No. 672 .2 In subsequent orders addressing the NERC -SPP Delegation Agreement , we reserved our determination on this 1 As an RE, SPP is responsible for enforcing the mandatory electric reliability standards of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) that the Commission approved. SPP also operates as a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO). Southwest Power Pool, Inc.
    [Show full text]
  • Report on Outages and Curtailments During the Southwest Cold Weather Event of February 1-5, 2011
    Report on Outages and Curtailments During the Southwest Cold Weather Event of February 1-5, 2011 Prepared by the Staffs of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation Causes and Recommendations August 2011 FERC/NERC Staff Report on the 2011 Southwest Cold Weather Event Table of Contents I. Introduction..................................................................1 II. Executive Summary.....................................................7 III. The Electric and Natural Gas Industries.................13 IV. Preparations for the Storm.......................................49 V. The Event: Load Shed and Curtailments................73 VI. Causes of the Outages and Supply Disruptions....139 VII. Prior Cold Weather Events.....................................169 VIII. Electric and Natural Gas Interdependencies........189 IX. Key Findings and Recommendations.....................195 - i - FERC/NERC Staff Report on the 2011 Southwest Cold Weather Event This page intentionally left blank. - ii - FERC/NERC Staff Report on the 2011 Southwest Cold Weather Event ATTACHMENTS Acronyms Glossary Appendices Task Force Members Legislative and Regulatory Responses by the States Categories of NERC Registered Entities Electricity: How it is Generated and Distributed Power Plant Design for Ambient Weather Conditions Impact of Wind Chill Winterization for Generators Natural Gas: Production and Distribution Natural Gas Storage Natural Gas Transportation Contracting Practices GTI: Impact of Cold Weather on Gas Production - iii - FERC/NERC Staff Report on the 2011 Southwest Cold Weather Event This page intentionally left blank. - iv - FERC/NERC Staff Report on the 2011 Southwest Cold Weather Event I. Introduction The southwest region of the United States experienced unusually cold and windy weather during the first week of February 2011. Lows during the period were in the teens for five consecutive mornings and there were many sustained hours of below freezing temperatures throughout Texas and in New Mexico.
    [Show full text]
  • North American Electric Reliability Corporation Docket No. RR14-6-000
    149 FERC ¶ 61,028 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION Before Commissioners: Cheryl A. LaFleur, Chairman; Philip D. Moeller, Tony Clark, and Norman C. Bay. North American Electric Reliability Corporation Docket No. RR14-6-000 ORDER ON 2015 BUSINESS PLANS AND BUDGETS (Issued October 16, 2014) 1. On August 22, 2014, North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) filed 2015 business plans and budgets for each Regional Entity,1 the Western Interconnection Regional Advisory Body (WIRAB), Peak Reliability, Inc. (Peak Reliability), and itself (collectively, NERC Application). For the reasons discussed below, the Commission accepts the 2015 business plans and budgets of NERC, the Regional Entities, WIRAB, and Peak Reliability, as well as the associated attachments and updates. The Commission authorizes NERC to issue billing invoices to fund the fiscal year 2015 operations of the Regional Entities, WIRAB, Peak Reliability, and itself.2 I. Background A. Regulatory History 2. Section 215 of the Federal Power Act (FPA) requires the Commission to certify an Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) to develop mandatory and enforceable 1 The eight Regional Entities are Florida Reliability Coordinating Council, Midwest Reliability Organization, Northeast Power Coordinating Council, Inc., ReliabilityFirst Corporation, SERC Reliability Corporation, Southwest Power Pool Regional Entity, Texas Reliability Entity, and Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC). 2 On October 14, 2014, NERC submitted a “Request to Submit Revisions to the 2015 Budget and Assessments of Peak Reliability, Inc. to Reflect Additional Revenues from British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority,” in Docket No. RR14-6-001. The Commission will address this filing in a subsequent order. Docket No.
    [Show full text]
  • North American Electric Reliability Corporation RR16-6-000
    157 FERC ¶ 61,043 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION Before Commissioners: Norman C. Bay, Chairman; Cheryl A. LaFleur, and Colette D. Honorable. North American Electric Reliability Corporation Docket No. RR16-6-000 ORDER ACCEPTING 2017 BUSINESS PLANS AND BUDGETS (Issued October 20, 2016) 1. On August 23, 2016, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) filed 2017 business plans and budgets for NERC, each Regional Entity,1 and the Western Interconnection Regional Advisory Body (WIRAB) (collectively, NERC Application). For the reasons discussed below, we accept the 2017 business plans and budgets of NERC, the Regional Entities, and WIRAB, as well as the associated attachments and updates, and authorize issuance of billing invoices to fund the fiscal year 2017 operations of NERC, the Regional Entities, and WIRAB. I. Background A. Regulatory History 2. Section 215 of the Federal Power Act (FPA) requires the Commission to certify an Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) to develop mandatory and enforceable 1 The eight Regional Entities are Florida Reliability Coordinating Council (FRCC); Midwest Reliability Organization (MRO); Northeast Power Coordinating Council, Inc. (NPCC); ReliabilityFirst Corporation (ReliabilityFirst); SERC Reliability Corporation (SERC); Southwest Power Pool Regional Entity (SPP RE); Texas Reliability Entity (Texas RE); and Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC). Docket No. RR16-6-000 - 2 - Reliability Standards, subject to Commission review and approval.2 In July 2006, the Commission certified NERC as the ERO.3 3. Section 215(c)(2)(B) of the FPA provides that the ERO must have rules that “allocate equitably reasonable dues, fees, and other charges among end users for all activities under this section.”4 On February 3, 2006, the Commission issued Order No.
    [Show full text]
  • Curt Hébert, Jr., Chairman; William L
    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION Before Commissioners: Curt Hébert, Jr., Chairman; William L. Massey, Linda Breathitt, and Nora Mead Brownell. Southwest Power Pool, Inc. Docket Nos. RT01-34-000 and RT01-34-002 Entergy Services, Inc. Docket No. RT01-75-000 and RT01- 75-003 American Electric Power Service Corporation Docket No EC01-94-000 Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company Docket No. EC01-100-000 Western Resources Inc. and Kansas Gas and Electric Company Docket No. EC01-103-000 Midwest Energy, Inc. Docket No. EC01-106-000 Kansas City Power & Light Company Docket No. EC01-108-000 The Empire District Electric Company Docket No. EC01-109-000 Southwestern Public Service Company Docket No. EC01-111-000 Cleco Power LLC Docket No. EC01-113-000 ORDER REJECTING RTO FILINGS (Issued July 12, 2001) On October 13, 2000, the Southwest Power Pool, Inc. (SPP) submitted a proposal, in Docket No. RT01-34-000, seeking authorization to establish itself as a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO), pursuant to the Commission's characteristics and functions for RTOs, set forth in Order No. Docket No. RT01-34-000, et al. - 2 - 2000. 1 In a companion filing made on October 16, 2000, in Docket No. RT01-75-000, Entergy Services, Inc., on behalf of the Entergy Operating Companies (collectively, Entergy), 2 requests authorization to create an independent, for-profit transmission company (Transco) to operate within the umbrella of and to operate under the oversight of the SPP RTO. Entergy also seeks approval, pursuant to section 203 of the Federal Power Act (FPA) 3 to transfer the transmission assets of the Entergy Operating Companies to the Transco.
    [Show full text]
  • Southwest Power Pool Membership Benefits
    Southwest Power Pool Membership Brings Big Benefits to Consumers East River Electric Power Cooperative, its power suppliers Basin Electric Power Cooperative and the Western Area Power Administration, along with other utility groups in our region joined the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) in 2015. Before joining SPP, Basin Electric, the Western Area Power Administration and Heartland Consumers Power District worked together to own and operate the bulk transmission grid. There were some benefits and downfalls to operating a standalone grid. The decision to join the Southwest Power Pool was discussed and studied extensively by these utility groups for years before the systems decided to join SPP. In the end, they joined SPP because it allows these utilities to share generation and transmission resources with other utilities up and down the region in a more efficient manner and provide more reliable electricity to consumers. This decision has also brought financial benefits to consumers across the region. Specifically for Basin Electric, the cooperative is able to sell generation into the market and East River Electric is able to see a return on transmission infrastructure. It’s led to a multi-million-dollar annual benefit to consumers in the East River footprint alone, with added financial benefits to other member cooperatives in the Basin Electric family. It means ratepayers see the benefit in the form of affordable and stable rates. East River Electric’s average wholesale rate has been stable for several years and has been reduced each of the past three years. Details on the Southwest Power Pool The Southwest Power Pool is a Regional Transmission Organization that balances energy generation with energy usage across 14 states from the Canadian border south to Oklahoma, New Mexico and parts of Texas.
    [Show full text]
  • October 30, 2015 Honorable Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary Federal Energy
    PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. 2750 Monroe Boulevard Audubon, PA 19403 Jacqulynn B. Hugee Associate General Counsel 610.666.8208 Telephone | 610.666.8211 Fax October 30, 2015 Honorable Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 888 First Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20426-0001 Re: Common Performance Metrics, Docket No. AD14-15-000 ISO/RTO Joint Common Performance Metrics Report Dear Secretary Bose: The six Independent System Operators (“ISOs”) and Regional Transmission Operators (“RTOs”) regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission1 (“Commission”) are pleased to submit their joint 2015 ISO/RTO Metrics Report. This 384-page report reflects the content outlined in the August 26, 2014 Common Metrics Commission Staff Report,2 as applicable and as information is available for each entity for the five year period from 2010 to 2014. The ISOs/RTOs have combined their data and narratives into one report, instead of six separate documents, for the convenience of the readers. This combined report is organized as follows: Executive Summary ISO/RTO Geography and Operations Statistics Performance Metrics and Other Information 1 The California Independent System Operator Corporation (“California ISO”), ISO New England, Inc. (“ISO-NE”), Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. (“MISO”), New York Independent System Operator (“NYISO”), PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (“PJM”), and Southwest Power Pool, Inc. (“SPP”) have each contributed to this report. 2 Common Metrics Commission Staff Report, Docket No. AD14-15-000 (Aug.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to System Operations
    Introduction to System Operations W ESTERN E LECTRICITY C OORDINATING C OUNCIL Course Outline 1. Introduction to WECC 2. Fundamentals of Electricity 3. Power System Overview 4. Principles of Generation 5. Substation Overview 6. Transformers 7. Power Transmission 8. System Protection 9. Principles of System Operation 3 1|Introduction to WECC • What is an interconnection? • Regulatory agencies • The evolution of reliability in the North American electric system W ESTERN E LECTRICITY C OORDINATING C OUNCIL What Is An Interconnection? 4 Interconnections in North America Interconnections The 2 largest alternating current (AC) power grids are: Eastern Interconnection Western Interconnection The 3 smaller alternating current (AC) power grids are: Quebec Interconnection Alaska Interconnections Texas Interconnection The Eight North American Regional Entities • Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) • Florida Reliability Coordinating Council (FRCC) • Midwest Reliability Organization (MRO) • Northeast Power Coordinating Council (NPCC) • ReliabilityFirst Corporation (RFC) • SERC Reliability Corporation (SERC) • Southwest Power Pool, RE (SPP) • Texas Reliability Entity (TRE) North American Interconnections Eastern 610,000 MW Western 140,000 MW Texas 69,000 MW Quebec 21,000 MW (2015 Projected Demand) 9 60 Hz All electric utilities are tied together at a synchronized frequency operating at an average of 60 Hz. The Eastern Interconnection is tied to: • Western Interconnection by 6 DC ties • Texas Interconnection with 2 DC ties • Quebec Interconnection
    [Show full text]
  • A Comprehensive Review of SPP's Response to the February 2021
    Southwest Power Pool published the following report on July 26, 2021. In a special meeting of SPP’s Board of Directors and Members Committee, SPP’s Comprehensive Review Steering Committee and staff recommended that the board: 1. Accept its report, “A Comprehensive Review of Southwest Power Pool’s response to the February 2021 Winter Storm”. 2. Direct work to begin immediately on recommendations that address root causes (Tier 1). 3. Direct organizational prioritization of work needed to address remaining recommendations. 4. Direct staff to provide quarterly updates on status of progress being made. 5. Direct staff to submit for board approval in October a project plan of activities needed to resolve the tier 1 recommendations. 6. Direct issuance of letters to all generator operators in the SPP region requiring them to inform SPP about their plans to have and maintain fuel necessary to assure availability of all generation treated as accredited capacity for the upcoming winter season. 7. Direct staff to perform additional root cause analyses to explain the failure of natural gas fuel supply during the weather event needed to better inform SPP’s three fuel assurance recommendations. A A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF SOUTHWEST POWER POOL’S RESPONSE TO THE FEBRUARY 2021 WINTER STORM ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS By Southwest Power Pool Published on July 19, 2021 Version 1.0 Southwest Power Pool, Inc. A Comprehensive Review of SPP’s Response to the February 2021 Winter Storm CONTENTS TABLE OF FIGURES .............................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]