HomeMy WebLinkAbout08162001.docDECISION MEMORANDUM
TO: COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER
COMMISSIONER SMITH
COMMISSIONER HANSEN
JEAN JEWELL
RON LAW
BILL EASTLAKE
LOU ANN WESTERFIELD
LYNN ANDERSON
DON HOWELL
RANDY LOBB
DAVE SCHUNKE
TONYA CLARK
BEV BARKER
GENE FADNESS
WORKING FILE
FROM: JOHN R. HAMMOND
DATE: AUGUST 16, 2001
RE: IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF PACIFICORP FOR APPROVAL OF ITS REVISED EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN. CASE NO. PAC-E-01-10.
On June 13, 2001 PacifiCorp filed an Application that requests Commission approval of its revised Emergency Management Plan.
CURTAILMENT PLAN
The Company states the Plan is operational 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to:
Match customers demand and electrical supply generation;
Maintain the integrity of the electricity network;
Make available resources to restore supply quality to normal as soon as is practicable;
Keep customers informed of the state and progress of the incident or emergency;
Take steps for the care of our customers.
Application at 1.
PacifiCorp’s Curtailment Plan consists of four contingency plans that incorporate system operating procedures for addressing system emergencies.
Plan 1 is entitled “System Outages Emergency Procedures” and is meant to provide for effective service to customers in response to a diminution of electrical supply quality due to damage or failure of critical plant and equipment. The Company states that the objective of this Plan is to establish sufficient arrangements to restore electrical supplies as soon as is reasonably practicable and provide good customer communications and care.
Plan 2 is entitled “System Integrity Emergency Procedures” and sets out the actions to be taken to preserve the integrity of the transmission system if certain events occur. For example, the sudden loss of generators or the separation of the integrated transmission system resulting in “islanding” of generation customers and a threat of the total collapse of the system through to Black Start if emergency actions are not taken to balance demand and generation. Procedures in this Plan involve: automatic under frequency load shedding; emergency load shedding (irrespective of frequency); controlled load shedding (selective shedding of lower priority blocks of load); and demand side management.
Plan 3 is entitled “Energy Supply Emergency Procedures” and establishes procedures for the restriction of demand or consumption of electricity of its customers in the event of emergencies.
Plan 4 is entitled “Black Start Emergency Procedures” and establishes procedures to follow in the event of a total collapse of the transmission system.
The above plans recognize two categories of incidents and emergencies, minor incidents and major emergencies. In the event of either of these events occurring the Company has established detailed procedures so that these situations may be dealt with under one of its proposed contingency plans.
Also included in PacifiCorp’s Curtailment Plan are two Volumes that contain a directory of resources, load disconnect schedules and information detailing the Black Start restoration process.
COMMISSION REVIEW
Idaho Code § 61-531 requires all electric corporations to maintain a plan for the curtailment of electric or gas consumption during an emergency. Idaho Code § 61-532 requires that these plans be submitted and reviewed by the Commission. In reviewing the plans, the Commission is to consider: consistency of the plan with the public health, safety and welfare, the technical feasibility of implementing the plan; and the effectiveness with which the plan minimizes the impact of any curtailment. Id.
Staff believes that it is appropriate to issue a Notice of Application and to seek public comment on the Company’s Curtailment Plan. Staff recommends that the Commission request comment within 28 days of the date the Notice is issued. Staff notes that this recommendation is consistent with its recommendation in Case No. IPC-E-01-20 which is Idaho Power Company’s Application for Approval of its Curtailment Plan.
COMMISSION DECISION
Does the Commission desire to issue a Notice of Application and a Notice of Modified Procedure concerning the Company Curtailment Plan?
Does the Commission wish to establish a 28-day comment period?
Does the Commission wish to implement any other procedures or processes?
John R. Hammond
Staff: Dave Schunke
DECISION MEMORANDUM 1