The New England Power Pool Reliability Committee (RC) on Wednesday reversed its September rejection of ISO-NE’s proposed installed capacity requirement (ICR) calculations for Forward Capacity Auction 14 (2023/24) and three annual reconfiguration auctions (ARAs) to be conducted in 2020.
A restored End User sector quorum and a break in the ranks of universal opposition from the Generation sector proved the tipping point. Needing a 60% majority to recommend the ICR values to the Participants Committee, the RC voted by roll call and passed the motion with 63.49% in favor. The RC approved net ICRs of 32,205 MW for 2020/21 ARA 3, 32,230 MW of 2021/22 ARA 2 and 32,465 MW for 2022/23 ARA 1.
The Generation sector voted 4.2% in favor and 12.59% opposed, with one abstention. The Transmission and Publicly Owned Entity sectors remained unanimous in favor, Alternative Resources remained approximately split, and the End User sector was recorded unanimously in favor with one abstention.
The End User sector lacked a quorum in September’s vote and was reported 0.98% in favor and 0% opposed. (See Supply Side not Buying ISO-NE’s ICR Numbers.)
The committee also approved a 940-MW value for the Hydro-Québec interconnection capability credit (HQICC) for FCA 14’s ARA 3, with the value rising to 958 MW for ARA 2 and 969 MW for ARA 1.
Peter Wong, ISO-NE manager of resource studies and assessments, and Senior Engineer Manasa Kotha presented the ICR values and tie benefits.
Pending PC approval on Nov. 1, the RTO plans to file the ICR-related values with FERC by Nov. 5.
$46 Million PTF Cost Allocation
The RC voted to recommend that ISO-NE approve pool-supported pool transmission facility (PTF) costs of $46.39 million for the Baird 115-kV line rebuild project in Connecticut, per the revised cost allocation submitted by Avangrid/United Illuminating.
The committee found the costs consistent with the criteria set forth in Section 12C of ISO-NE’s Tariff for receiving regional support and inclusion in pool-supported PTF rates, and that none of the costs associated with the upgrade are considered localized costs.
The project involves rebuilds of the 88006A and 89006B lines between Baird substation, Barnum substation and the Devon Tie switching yard tying into the Housatonic River Crossing project, for a total distance of approximately 2.4 miles, and includes installing new galvanized steel transmission poles supporting new aluminum conductor steel-supported cable and optical ground wire.
Based on a show of hands, the motion passed with none opposed and no abstentions.
Other Action
The RC on Wednesday also approved a number of projects, including recommending that ISO-NE approve implementation of the Scitico substation circuit breaker and transformer addition project by Eversource Energy in Connecticut, as well as the 15-MW Davenport Solar Generation project by NextEra Energy Resources in Vermont.
The committee also recommended that ISO-NE approve implementation of Eversource’s Andrew Square-to-Dewar Street Station 115-kV cable installation project in Boston; New England Power’s 40-plus-MW Iron Mine Hill Road solar generation and transmission project in Rhode Island; and the latter’s King Solar 1 and 2 generation project.
It also approved revisions to Operating Procedure 16J to modify the timing for initiating the annual certification of transmission equipment dynamics data; and revisions to Operating Procedure 2A, to modify the table of itemized equipment maintenance of communications, computers, metering and building services.
— Michael Kuser