Senate Confirms Mcnamee to FERC with Pitfalls, WECC Hears Every Democratic by Michael Brooks by Hudson Sangree Senator Voted Against the U.S
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ISSN 2377-8016 : Volume 2018/Issue 4050 DecemberOctober 11 2,, 2018 RTOs/ISOs File FERC Order 841 Compliance Plans GridCONNEXT 2018 The complexity of the revisions led some By Michael Brooks grid operators to ask FERC to rule on their WASHINGTON — Storage resources seeking proposals quickly to give them enough time to to provide capacity would face much tougher implement all the changes by the deadline. requirements in some regions than others “The implementation of the revisions proposed under proposed tariff revisions filed by RTOs herein is estimated to cost SPP alone in excess and ISOs last week in compliance with FERC of $800,000, and the magnitude of the effort Order 841. requires major software and process changes Storage offering capacity would have to contin- to core SPP systems,” said the RTO, which uously supply energy for two hours in ISO-NE, requested FERC rule by March 1. but four hours in NYISO and 10 hours in PJM. NYISO requested that FERC rule by Feb. 1, Together, the filings by CAISO (ER19-468), ISO- and it further asked that its implementation NE (ER19-470), MISO (ER19-465), NYISO (ER19- deadline be extended to May 1, 2020, because 467), PJM (ER19-469) and SPP (ER19-460) total it is in the middle of “a significant upgrade” to its more than 2,500 pages. FERC, grid operators market software. and stakeholders now have a year to review, While MISO did not request an extension, it California and Illinois won the top spots on the revise and implement the plans under a Dec. 3, too is undergoing an overhaul of its market GridWise Alliance’s fifth annual Grid Modernization 2019, deadline set by the commission when it platform, noted Tanya Paslawski, executive Index, the group announced at the gridCONNNEXT issued Order 841 in February. (See FERC Rules 2018 conference. (p.3) | GridWise Alliance to Boost Storage Role in Markets.) Continued on page 34 Overheard at GridCONNEXT 2018 Experts Urge Utilities to Train, Collaborate on Cybersecurity (p.5) (p.7) RC Transition Fraught Senate Confirms McNamee to FERC with Pitfalls, WECC Hears Every Democratic By Michael Brooks By Hudson Sangree senator voted against The U.S. Senate voted 50-49 on Thursday McNamee, including SALT LAKE CITY — The reliability coordina- to confirm Bernard McNamee as a FERC Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. tor transition in the West in 2019 topped the commissioner, restoring the commission to full Va.), who had joined Re- discussion at the year’s final quarterly meet- strength and Republicans’ 3-2 majority. publicans on the Energy ing of the Western Electricity Coordinating and Natural Resources Council’s board of directors last Tuesday and Committee in its 13-10 Wednesday. vote Nov. 27 to advance Bernard McNamee | Also in this issue: the nominee to the © RTO Insider “This will absolutely be at the top of the pri- floor. (See McNamee Advances to Senate Floor.) ority list for 2019,” WECC CEO Melanie Frye Facing Condemnation, told those gathered at the board’s previous Xcel Pledges to Go Manchin, a coal-state Democrat who often quarterly meeting. (See Western RC Transition votes with Republicans on energy and envi- 100% Carbon Free ‘Hot Top’ at WECC Meeting.) (p.9) ronmental issues, is in line to become ranking member of the ENR Committee if Sen. Maria Peak Reliability’s decision to quit its RC role ISO-NE Fuel Security Cantwell (D-Wash.) moves to the Commerce across WECC’s footprint and hand off duties to CAISO, SPP and BC Hydro by the end of Measures Approved Committee. That has rankled environmental (p.12) groups and members of the more progressive wing of the party, who protested to Minority Continued on page 8 EPA Eases Rules for Leader Chuck Schumer at his office in New SPP Stakeholders: Stick with Dec. 2019 New Coal Generation York last Monday. (p.36) Date for Western RC Continued on page 35 (p.31) ©2018 RTO Insider LLC 10837 Deborah Drive ª Potomac, MD 20854 ª (301) 299-0375 ª [email protected] ª www.rtoinsider.com ª RTO Insider: Your Eyes & Ears on the Organized Electric Markets December 11, 2018 ª Page 2 In this week’s issue GridCONNEXT 2018 Calif., Ill. Top Grid Modernization Index ........................................3 Overheard at gridCONNEXT 2018 . .5 Infocast’s Federal Energy Policy Summit Experts Urge Utilities to Train, Collaborate on Cybersecurity . 7 CAISO/WECC RC Transition Fraught with Pitfalls, WECC Hears . .1 Editorial Experts Urge Utilities to Train, Collaborate on Cybersecurity . 7 Editor-in-Chief / Co-Publisher Facing Condemnation, Xcel Pledges to Go 100% Carbon Free . .9 Rich Heidorn Jr. 202-577-9221 Deputy Editor / Senior Correspondent ERCOT Robert Mullin 503-715-6901 ERCOT Predicts Tight Reserve Margin for 2019 .............................10 Art Director Texas PUC Briefs ..............................................................11 Mitchell Parizer 718-613-9388 ISO-NE Associate Editor / D.C. Correspondent Michael Brooks 301-922-7687 ISO-NE Fuel Security Measures Approved ...................................12 Associate Editor Fuel Security the Focus at ISO-NE Consumer Liaison Meeting . 14 Shawn McFarland 570-856-6738 MISO MISO Board OKs Full MTEP 18 over Stakeholder Complaints . 16 CAISO/West Correspondent Hudson Sangree 916-747-3595 MISO Board of Directors Briefs . 17 MISO Stakeholders: New Blueprint Needed for Tx Planning .................18 ISO-NE/NYISO Correspondent Michael Kuser 802-681-5581 MISO Members Split on Regulator Cooling-off Period .......................20 MISO, Stakeholders at Odds over Resource Availability Filings . 21 MISO Correspondent Amanda Durish Cook 810-288-1847 NYISO PJM Correspondent IPPTF Updates Treatment of RECs, Carbon Charge Analyses ...............23 Rory D. Sweeney 717-679-1638 PJM SPP/ERCOT Correspondent PJM Board Demands Action on Energy Price Formation .....................25 Tom Kleckner 501-590-4077 PJM Stakeholders Seek Streamlined, More Flexible FCP Rules ..............26 PJM Wins OK for Wider Day-ahead Bid Window . 26 Subscriptions Mixed Ruling for Trader over PJM Repricing Events ..........................27 Chief Operating Officer / Co-Publisher PJM Board Expands Avenues for Feedback on Market Monitor . .27 Merry Eisner 240-401-7399 PJM SHs Seek End to Frequency Response Debate . 28 Account Executive Marge Gold 240-750-9423 PJM MRC/MC Briefs . 29 SPP RTO Insider LLC SPP Stakeholders: Stick with Dec. 2019 Date for Western RC Services .....31 10837 Deborah Drive SPP Board of Directors/Members Committee Briefs . 31 Potomac, MD 20854 (301) 299-0375 SPP Briefs . .32 Subscription Rates: FERC/Federal RTOs/ISOs File FERC Order 841 Compliance Plans...........................1 Payment PDF-Only PDF & Web Frequency Senate Confirms McNamee to FERC ..........................................1 EPA Eases Rules for New Coal Generation . 36 Annually: $1,350.00 $1,650.00 Quarterly: 380.00 475.00 Briefs Company Briefs . .38 Monthly: 150.00 175.00 Federal Briefs . .38 See details and Subscriber Agreement at State Briefs . 39 rtoinsider.com. ª www.rtoinsider.com ª RTO Insider: Your Eyes & Ears on the Organized Electric Markets December 11, 2018 ª Page 3 GridCONNEXT 2018 Calif., Ill. Top Grid Modernization Index By Rich Heidorn Jr. WASHINGTON — California and Illinois won the top spots on the GridWise Alliance’s fifth annual Grid Modernization Index, standing out for their initiatives on energy storage, distrib- uted generation, non-wires alternatives and ratemaking innovations. Minnesota jumped to 10th place from 21st, and Colorado also jumped several spots to No. 11 in the index, which ranks states and D.C. on policies, customer engagement (rate struc- tures, customer outreach and data collection practices) and grid operations (deployment of technologies such as sensors and smart meters). GridWise announced the results at the grid- Connext 2018 conference, where attendees heard about some of the projects exciting grid technology advocates. ‘Trailblazer’ GridWise CEO Steve Hauser said California “continues to be the California and Illinois won the top spots on the GridWise Alliance’s fifth annual Grid Modernization Index, the grid modernization group announced at the gridCONNNEXT 2018 conference. | GridWise Alliance trailblazer,” citing its distribution system grates generation and storage and has reduced planning requirements the community’s greenhouse gas emissions by and “multi-pronged 20%. GridWise Alliance CEO approach to support When lightning and flooding knocked out the Steve Hauser | © RTO distributed energy re- Insider transmission line again in 2013, Smith said, sources, including com- “the microgrid did exactly what we wanted it petitive solicitations, to. It islanded, and it directed power to critical multiple DER demo projects, a self-generation infrastructure” — a gas station, a library that incentive program, a net metering tariff, and an served as a cooling center for those who energy storage target and default time-of-use couldn’t relocate, and an elderly community. rates.” Smith also cited a tenant-owned mobile home Speaking at the park in Bakersfield where the state helped conference, Courtney Solar panels at Borrego Springs microgrid | San Diego add solar power with storage, reducing the Prideaux Smith, chief Gas & Electric low-income community’s net energy consump- deputy director of the tion by 30%. California Energy Com- than 50%. mission, noted that the “It is going to save Californians money starting Cluster of Microgrids CEC had just received on day one,” Smith said. approval to implement a Anne Pramaggiore, who Courtney Prideaux requirement that new Smith also touted the