Operating TopicsOperating Topics

Part 1

Mike OattsMay 9, 2008

Transmission Customer ForumDestin, Florida

Part 1

Mike OattsMay 9, 2008

Transmission Customer ForumDestin, Florida

Topics• Operational Data Needs

– Outages (planned and unplanned)– Real-time plans

• Generator Ramping

Operational Plans

Operational Data Needs – Why?• NERC Standards require a Generator Operator to

communicate current as well as future operational data to its Balancing Authority, Transmission Service Provider and Transmission Operator. This includes outage plans, MW and Mvar capability and output.

• TOP-001, TOP-002, TOP-003, TOP-004, and VAR-002 identify the Generator Operator requirements

Operational Data Needs – Why?• TOP-001

– R7.1 : “For a generator outage, the Generator Operator shall notify and coordinate with the Transmission Operator”.

• TOP-002– R3: “Generator Operator shall coordinate (where confidentiality

agreements allow) its current-day, next-day, and seasonal operations with its Host Balancing Authority and Transmission Service Provider”.

Operational Data Needs – Why?• TOP-002

– R14: “Generator Operators shall, without any intentional time delay, notify their Balancing Authority and Transmission Operator of changes in capabilities and characteristics including but not limited to:

• R14.1. Changes in real output capabilities”

– R15: “Generation Operators shall, at the request of the Balancing Authority or Transmission Operator, provide a forecast of expected real power output to assist in operations planning (e.g., a seven-day forecast of real output).”

Operational Data Needs – Why?• TOP-003

– R1.1: “Each Generator Operator shall provide outage information daily to its Transmission Operator for scheduled generator outages planned for the next day (any foreseen outage of a generator greater than 50 MW). The Transmission Operator shall establish the outage reporting requirements.”

– R1.3: “Such information shall be available by 1200 Central Standard Time for the Eastern Interconnection”

Operational Data Needs – Why?• TOP-003

– R2: “Each TOP, BA, and Generator Operator shall plan and coordinate scheduled outages of system voltage regulating equipment, such as automatic voltage regulators on generators, supplementary excitation control,… etc., among affected BA’s and TOP’s as required.”

– R3: “Each TOP, BA, and Generator Operator shall plan and coordinate scheduled outages of telemetering and control equipment and associated communication channels between the affected areas.

Operational Data Needs – Why?• TOP-006

– R1.1: Each Generator Operator shall inform its Host Balancing Authority and the Transmission Operator of all generation resources available for use.

Operational Data Needs – Why?• VAR-002

– R3: Each Generator Operator shall notify its associated Transmission Operator as soon as practical, but within 30 minutes of any of the following:

• R3.1. A status or capability change on any generator Reactive Power resource, including the status of each automatic voltage regulator and power system stabilizer and the expected duration of the change in status or capability.

• R3.2. A status or capability change on any other Reactive Power resources under the Generator Operator’s control and the expected duration of the change in status or capability.

Operational Data Needs – What?• BPO-33 (Generator Outage Coordination)

and

• BPO-34 (Real-time Operations Plans) Procedures describe the information required

Operational Data Needs – What?• BPO-33 (Generator Outage Coordination)

a. Planned tests or maintenance of generation units which cause the output of the unit to be unavailable, either for Automatic Generation Control (AGC) or for manual loading.

b. All planned unit outages, and changes in the status of AGC, Automatic Voltage Regulators (AVR), or Power System Stabilizers (PSS).

c. Planned plant equipment outages which can affect the full load real and reactive capability of a unit. (This includes spare pumps, mills, etc.)

Operational Data Needs – What?• BPO-33 (Generator Outage Coordination) - continued

d. Planned plant equipment outages which could interfere with the return to service of a unit if the unit should trip off-line (such as start-up boilers, station service breakers, etc.)

e. Planned plant equipment outages applicable to units currently off-line on a standby type status.

Operational Data Needs – What?• BPO-33 (Generator Outage Coordination) - continued

f. Planned equipment outages which could interrupt or alter telemetered data sent to the PCC. All changes to metering points or the definition of data telemetered to the PCC.

g. Generating station interrupting device (e.g. bus breaker or

switch) work which could limit plant capability (this includes breakers of any voltage which could prevent a unit from returning to service should the unit trip off the line.)

Operational Data Needs – What?• BPO-33 (Generator Outage Coordination) – continued

– For items C-G, the impact to plant availability may be reported in lieu of detailed information related to plant internal equipment. For generators which are not Network Resources and which are not scheduled to be on-line, short-term plant equipment outages need not be reported.

– If an unplanned operation of any of the items in the above list requiring prior notification occurs; the PCC should be notified as soon as possible.

Operational Data Needs – What?• BPO-33 (Generator Outage Coordination) – continued

– Southern Co Generation provides outage schedules on a seasonal basis for review and updates as soon as practical

– IPP generators provide their outage schedules in accordance with their interconnection agreements, generally on an annual basis, with updates being provided as soon as practical.

– Postponement of planned outages - To the extent reliability criteria cannot be met, some generator and/or transmission outages may be postponed until system conditions improve. Impacted parties will be contacted as soon as practical to discuss options.

Operational Data Needs – How?• Information on generator outages is provided to the

PCC and Operations Planning various ways including email, Gencomm, and faxes

Operational Data Needs – What?• BPO-34 (Real-Time Operational Plans)

– This procedure focuses on the operational data required from the operating entities within the Southern Company Balancing Area and Transmission Operator footprint to create and maintain an accurate operations plan in the near-term operating horizon.

– Typical information is (but not limited to): generator output, generator control capability, generator reserves, generator reactive capability, interchange schedules, load forecasts, transmission configuration

Operational Data Needs – What?• BPO-34 (Real-Time Operational Plans) – continued

– Besides real-time and next hour data requirements expected for near-term operational plans, the operational planning horizon covers two time periods with different data requirements for resource-related data:

• (1) a “rolling period” 4 hours into the future updated each hour • (2) an hourly resource commitment projection for the next 36 hours.

– Both sets of data are needed so that the Balancing Authority and Transmission Operator can anticipate and meet scheduled and unscheduled changes in system configuration and generation dispatch.

Operational Data Needs – What?• BPO-34 (Real-Time Operational Plans) – continued• Hourly resource commitment projection for the next 36 hours:

– To meet the current-day and next-day operations analysis, all Generator Operators must provide the following projected information for thirty six hours into the future by 10 a.m. each day. The projections shall include for each hour:

• projected unit status changes for generators owned by the reporting entity

– The unit status information forecast can be consolidated into the GOP’s dispatch center’s resource projection information to meet its hourly load, purchase, and sales requirements but must show on an hourly basis the status change of any units which are to be used to meet the projected load and sale requirements

Operational Data Needs – What?• BPO-34 (Real-Time Operational Plans) – continued• “Rolling 4 hour period” into the future updated each hour

– For current day operation, the “rolling 4 hour” information shall be reported at least 20 minutes prior to the start of the next hour and contain hourly information for the “next hour plus 3”. The projections from Generator Operators shall include for each hour:

• net plant output by transmission voltage level for generators owned by the reporting entity

– Note: In some instances, detailed “by unit” information may be required to accommodate the modeling needs of the PCC analysis tools. When this situation occurs, the Generator Operator will be notified of the requirement.

Operational Data Needs – What?• BPO-34 (Real-Time Operational Plans) – continued• There is other “situational” information that shall be provided to

the PCC about resource capability and availability as soon as they are known by the Generator Operator and/or dispatch center Examples of this would include, but not be limited to:– Limitations on unit output or run-time due to emissions constraints or

emission equipment malfunction. – Limitations due to environmental conditions such as drought affecting

unit run-time or capability, wet coal derating, coal pile icing, etc.– Fuel limitations due to pipeline problems, gas availability problems,

railroad limitations, or other factors which affect the reliability of gas supply. This coordination and communication should meet the requirements of FERC order 698.

Operational Data Needs – Why?• BPO-34 (Real-Time Operational Plans) – continued• Projected vs. Actual Deviation Implications

– The 36 hour forecast and the “rolling period” 4 hour forecast allows the PCC to plan the balancing area’s operation to reliably meet the scheduled transmission system configuration, generation dispatch, interchange scheduling, reserves and demand patterns.

– While it is known that such projections are subject to error and changing system conditions, the PCC’s operations reliability requirement is to always study, ahead of time, projected system conditions and operate in a known reliable operating state. The requested projected data is vital to insure the accuracy of these studies.

– Inaccurate projections may lead to the PCC to not being able to accommodate the generation outages or dispatch profiles requested.

Operational Data Needs – How?• Communication with entities and PCC

– Communications between the Power Coordination Center (PCC) and generating entities (generator operators – GOP’s) within the balancing authority area may be performed through other intermediary control or dispatch centers and not directly with the generating entity.

– This intermediary entity should introduce no significant time delays in providing information needed by the PCC or in forwarding directions given by the PCC to a generating entity.

Operational Data Needs – How?• Communication with entities and PCC - continued

– The PCC reserves the right, if necessary, to communicate directly to a GOP while informing intermediaries as soon as practical afterwards.

– Generator Operators (GOP’s) should ensure operator personnel know that such direct communications from the PCC may occur and immediately implement PCC directions unless such actions would violate safety, equipment, or regulatory or statutory requirements.

Operational Data Needs – How?• Communication with entities and PCC - continued

– In order to facilitate the compilation of data from various providers and thus the optimal use of the required data, the PCC will work with each provider to agree on the formatting and exchange mechanism/protocol of the data submitted.

– In general, the data will be exchanged in a generally accepted format such as comma separated variable or XML in an industry acceptable protocol such as email or ftp.

Generator Ramping

Generator Ramping• Ramping expectations covered in Exhibit 7 (Generator

Ramping Standards and Guidelines) of the Operating Agreements

• Generator must conform to control area ramping requirements of NERC and SERC. The Southern Control Area operates per the default ramp rate specified by NAESB, currently 10 minutes. The Control Area Operator reserves the right to terminate a schedule or schedules that indicate that the generator is not conforming to standard ramp rates.

Generator Ramping• Generator must not permit schedules from its facility that will

exceed the capability of the transmission system within the specified ramping.

• Due to the load following limitations of generators under the control of the Control Area Operator, the Control Areas Operator reserves the right to limit the total amount of schedule change (applies to schedules that indicate a source that is electronically within Southern Company’s control area) that may occur at the top of a clock hour.

Generator Ramping – Why?• Not complying with standard ramp rates will result in

excessive and unauthorized load following requirements being placed on generators under the control of the balancing area operator because the balancing area is still required to complete schedule ramps within ten minutes across the top of the hour, consistent with NERC standards.

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

8:4

58

:50

8:5

59

:00

9:0

59

:10

9:1

59

:20

9:2

59

:30

9:3

59

:40

9:4

59

:50

9:5

51

0:0

01

0:0

5

Actual MW

Tag

622MW

25 minute ramp

Two curves both with 500Mwh

Unacceptable

output versus

schedule

0

50

100

150

200

250

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350

400

450

500

Output MW

Tag ???

What

should

the tag

look like

for a unit

coming

online???

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

8:4

58

:50

8:5

59

:00

9:0

59

:10

9:1

59

:20

9:2

59

:30

9:3

59

:40

9:4

59

:50

9:5

51

0:0

01

0:0

5

Actual MW

Tag

Unit trips at 9:10

When the unit

trips, according to

Attachment L of

the OATT for P-t-P

service, this would

no longer be a

valid Source and

thus the Tag needs

to be adjusted

ASAP.

The unit is

available at 9:40.

When can the tag

be reloaded?

0

100

200

300

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500

600

8:4

58

:50

8:5

59

:00

9:0

59

:10

9:1

59

:20

9:2

59

:30

9:3

59

:40

9:4

59

:50

9:5

51

0:0

01

0:0

5

Actual MW

Tag

Reload at the top

of the next hour

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

8:45

8:50

8:55

9:00

9:05

9:10

9:15

9:20

9:25

9:30

9:35

9:40

9:45

9:50

9:55

10:0

010

:05

Actual MW

Tag

Questions ?