Standards Update

WECC Board of Directors Technical SessionDecember 5, 2007

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Steve Rueckert

Director of Standards

Standards Update How did we get where we are today?

● Energy Policy Act Mandatory Standards

● Some RMS Requirements were mandatory enforcement of existing NERC standards through the contractual RMS obligation Remainder were additional and/or more stringent

WECC requirements

● Regional Standards Task Force (RSTF) formed to review remainder of RMS requirements Essential for reliability Well Defined

Standards Update How did we get where we are today?

● RSTF identified 8 RMS standards for translation to Regional Reliability Standards Went through the expedited WECC process Translated existing RMS requirements to a

format acceptable to NERC and FERC WECC Board approved 8 Regional Reliability

Standards for submittal to NERC and FERC

Standards Update How did we get where we are today?

● Tier One Standards conditionally approved by NERC and FERC Identified necessary changes for permanent

replacements Remove RMS sanction table for enforcement Develop adequate measures for each requirement Add Violation Risk Factors Add Violation Severity Levels

FERC expects WECC to complete replacement standards “in about a year”

Standards Update What happens if we’re not done “in about a year?”

● If we don’t have replacement standards by June 2008, WECC will need to provide a full explanation why

● Possibly no serious consequences if: Solid reason is provided Plan for timely completion is provided

● Standards will not just “go away” Existing Tier One standards will stay in effect

No changes to existing requirements FERC may allow WECC to continue enforcement via RMS

sanction table – UNLIKELY? More likely that WECC will be ordered to use the NERC sanction

table for enforcement FERC may impose high VRF and/or high/severe VSL

Standards Update What happens if we’re not done?

●WECC desires to have approved replacement standards ready for Board approval in April of 2008

Standards Update Status of Tier One Standards Development

● Where is each standard in the process

● Schedule for future actions

● Major comments received Drafting Team (DT) responses to comments

● Prediction on whether or not it is likely the standard will receive a positive vote by the OC

Standards Update FAC-501-WECC-1 Transmission Maintenance

● Currently posted for second review period Comment period closes December 10

● DT plans to meet in the first 2 weeks of January to develop responses to comments received Post final FAC-501-WECC-1 in time for consideration at

the March OC meeting● No significant, show stopper type comments

received Many comments indicated this should be an FAC

(Facilities Design, Connections and Maintenance) standard rather than PRC (Protection and Control) since the standard deals with facilities and not protection and control DT renumbered the Standard – Requirements not changed

Standards Update FAC-501-WECC-1 Transmission Maintenance

Suggestion that annual review was too often DT does not agree and left requirement for annual

reviewo Annual review does not require annual modificationo Requires review for need to modifyo Requires review for confirmation that plan is being followed

Some comments indicate the need for more clarity DT implemented changes to the standard intended to

add the required clarity

● Believe this standard will pass OC ballot

Standards Update IRO-006-WECC-1 Qualified Path Unscheduled Flow Relief

● Currently posted for second review period Comment period closes January 2

● DT plans to meet during the first 2 weeks of January to develop responses to comments received Post final IRO-006-WECC-1 in time for

consideration at the March OC meeting

Standards Update IRO-006-WECC-1 Qualified Path Unscheduled Flow Relief

● DT proposed to add the reliability coordinator as a responsible entity TOP experiencing congestion on a qualified

path requests relief WebSAS tool would identify schedules to be

cut RC requirement is to approve or deny request

for congestion relief If the RC approves the congestion relief webSAS

automatically issues Tag adjustments

Standards Update IRO-006-WECC-1 Qualified Path Unscheduled Flow Relief

● Comments indicate general support for RC involvement RC has wide area view RC should be the entity to approve or deny

curtailments Initially there was pushback from the RCs

DT meet with RC managers and addressed the RC concerns

● I believe this standard will pass OC balloting

Standards Update PRC-004-WECC-1 Protection System and Remedial Action Scheme Misoperation

● Currently posted for second review period Comment period closes January 2

● DT plans to meet during the first 2 weeks of January to develop responses to comments received Post final PRC-004-WECC-1 in time for

consideration at the March OC meeting

Standards Update PRC-004-WECC-1 Protection System and Remedial Action Scheme Misoperation

● No show stopper comments received Many comments seeking additional clarity

DT made changes to add clarity Comment questioning need to review all

operations Must review all operations to determine

misoperations Comments seeking reductions in stringency of

reporting or action periods DT did not modify existing requirements

Standards Update PRC-004-WECC-1 Protection System and Remedial Action Scheme Misoperation

● Comments continued Several comments questioning RC

applicability RC removed from applicability

Comments indicating reporting/documentation requirements were over burdensome DT did not make any changes Retained existing RMS reporting/documentation

requirements

● I believe this standard would pass OC balloting

Standards Update TOP-007-WECC-1 OTC Violations

● Currently posted for second review period Comment period closes January 2

● DT plans to meet during the first 2 weeks of January to develop responses to comments received Post final TOP-007-WECC-1 in time for consideration at the

March OC meeting

● First draft contained 2 requirements R1 - Actual Flow cannot exceed System Operating Limit (SOL) R2 - Scheduled Flow cannot exceed SOL

● Comments received suggesting removal of requirement 2 DT revised requirement 2 to require that the schedule not exceed

the SOL when the TOP implements its real time schedules for the next hour

Standards Update TOP-007-WECC-1 OTC Violations

● Comments to drop the 20 minute/30 minute limits for stability based SOL vs. thermally based SOL DT removed the 20 minute requirement Thirty minutes is now the requirement for all

SOLs that are exceeded

● With these two changes, I believe this standard will pass OC ballot

Standards Update VAR-002-WECC-1 Automatic Voltage Regulators

● Currently posted for second review period Comment period closes January 2

● DT plans to meet during the first 2 weeks of January to develop responses to comments received Post final VAR-002-WECC-1 in time for consideration at the

March OC meeting

● No major concerns identified in first comment period Comments focused on clarifying which generators the standard

applied to DT modified applicability section and Requirement 1 wording to add

clarity The DT was trying not to duplicate any NERC requirements No major changes from original RMS requirements

● I believe this standard will pass OC ballot

Standards Update VAR-501-WECC-1 Power System Stabilizers

● Currently posted for second review period Comment period closes January 2

● DT plans to meet during the first 2 weeks of January to develop responses to comments received Post final VAR-501-WECC-1 in time for consideration at the

March OC meeting

● No major concerns identified in first comment period Comments focused on clarifying which generators the standard

applied to DT modified applicability section and Requirement 1 wording to add

clarity The DT was trying not to duplicate any NERC requirements No major changes from original RMS requirements

● I believe this standard will pass OC ballot

Standards Update BAL-002-WECC-1 Contingency Reserve

● Currently posted for second review period Comment period closes January 2

● DT conference calls scheduled for: December 10 January 7 January 15

● Standard with the most comments Record of comments received and the DT response is

38 pages long Some comments indicate support while other identify

opposition

Standards Update

Questions

Steve RueckertDirector of Standards Western Electricity Coordinating Council615 Arapeen Drive, Suite 210Salt Lake City, Utah 84108-1262801 582-0353