PJM will implement a new process for ensuring compliance with training and certification requirements effective Feb. 1.
The Operating Committee unanimously approved changes to Manual 40 to enable the new process, which stems from an August problem statement to improve compliance by generation dispatchers, demand response providers and energy storage device operators. (See “PJM Moves to Tighten Training, Certification Requirements” in PJM Operating Committee Briefs.)
The process requires that operators or dispatchers that are not in compliance be removed from their shifts.
PJM will calculate compliance scores based on a count of operators and months out of compliance. A score of 5 will trigger a violation notice from PJM’s legal department, which will be sent to the company’s Members Committee representative as well as its compliance contact. (A company with one operator out of compliance for two months and a second operator in violation for three months would score a 5.)
Companies that fail to correct scores of 5 or higher within 30 days could be reported to FERC as a violation of the PJM Operating Agreement and Tariff.
“By putting in a requirement to remove a noncompliant operator from their shift, that essentially puts the company back in compliance,” said PJM’s Glen Boyle. “That’s what we would hope would come out of this. We don’t want to go the FERC route.”
The changes will go before the Markets and Reliability Committee on Jan. 28.
PJM Met ACE, Load Forecast Error Goals in 2015
PJM achieved a perfect dispatch score of 86.64% in 2015, beating its goal of 86.62%, officials told OC members.
Perfect dispatch, designed to measure how well PJM commits combustion turbines, is the hypothetical least production cost commitment and dispatch — what PJM would spend if it knew and could control all system conditions (load forecast, unit availability, unit performance, interchange and transmission outages) in advance.
The score is calculated by dividing the optimal CT production cost by the actual real-time CT production cost. The average RTO load forecast error for December was 2.31%, and it remained below the 3% goal throughout the year, said Chantal Hendrzak, executive director of operations support.
There were, however, five days that exceeded the average — two when the weather was warmer than expected, one when temperatures were colder and two days around the holidays, including Dec. 26.
“We always have some trouble with the holidays — what day of the week it is, what the weather is and what history we have,” she said.
PJM’s balance authority area control error (ACE) performance exceeded the accuracy goal of 99% for each month in 2015.
The average forced outage rate for the year was 4.65% (8,484 MW). The average total outage rate was 15.99% (29,186 MW).
All Hot, Cold Weather Action Items Closed out
PJM has completed all 115 hot and cold weather action items, Director of Operations Planning Dave Souder told the OC.
Since the last update in June, PJM closed out three cold weather action items related to Capacity Performance, regulation market rules and gas infrastructure future adequacy.
On the hot weather side, it completed issues involving synchronized reserves, cascading outage analysis procedure, facility limits, the emergency procedure tool and system modeling.
PJM’s Dave Schweizer reported that mild weather in December limited generator cold weather testing, so the exercise was continued into January.
PJM Strategy Would Guide Expansion of PMUs
PJM is developing an RTO-wide strategy for the placement of phasor measurement units (PMU) as their deployment expands on the grid. The strategy aims to address monitoring gaps and provide redundancy.
PJM, which has about 386 PMUs located at 123 transmission substations, is targeting additional installations at 60 substations.
In July 2013, members approved Tariff revisions requiring the installation of PMUs at new generation units of 100 MW and larger. The first generator PMU installation is expected early this year.
— Suzanne Herel