Endorsements Sail Through by Acclamation

VALLEY FORGE, Pa. — Stakeholders moved quickly through PJM’s requested endorsements at Thursday’s Planning Committee meeting, approving all three by acclamation. In addition to largely administrative updates to Manual 22, the committee endorsed:

• The sunsetting of the Earlier Queue Submittal Task Force, whose Tariff revisions went into effect on Nov. 1. The revisions allow PJM to start feasibility studies sooner and allocate review and study costs to interconnection customers rather than socializing them. “The big problem is that there were [project] requests that were deficient at the end of the window … that’s what was bleeding into the feasibility window,” PJM’s Andrew Gledhill explained. (See “Stricter Standards OK’d for Project Queue Submittal,” PJM Markets and Reliability Committee Briefs.) James Manning of the North Carolina Electric Membership Corp. supported the changes but requested that there be a “feedback loop” to ensure the rule changes are successful in incenting customers to file their requests sooner. PJM said it would provide updates.
• Exempting certain transmission substation equipment from competitive bidding. Brenda Prokop of ITC Holdings thanked PJM staff for making sure the revisions got completed.

PPL Removing Jenkins SPS

PPL’s Jenkins special protection scheme, which was installed to protect against overloads on the Susquehanna-Jenkins 230-kV line, is being removed because the line is being rebuilt. The line will be out of service from March through December.

Planning Coordination with MISO Improved

PJM and MISO filed joint operating agreement revisions for the targeted market efficiency project process with FERC on Dec. 30, PJM’s Chuck Liebold said.

“That was a big need. That should be a very beneficial change to expedite the analysis,” Liebold said. “In the past, it has taken months and months to put together an interregional case.”

Previously, PJM and MISO used incompatible analysis criteria. “Now we can go after any type of project on our border and go after whatever is truly the most cost-efficient project,” he said.

Stakeholders asked why there wasn’t a common interregional model. Liebold explained that FERC set it up so that interregional planning is developed from each RTO’s regional planning process, so it would be impossible for them to be the same.

“We’re not disputing MISO’s assumptions or MISO’s processes. … If their stakeholders have decided that’s the basis on which to go forward on a particular study, they can do that. … I think our responsibility is to make sure … that we come up with the best solution that satisfies the [needs] on both sides,” Liebold said.

Transmission Expansion Advisory Committee

New Proposal Shaves $78M from PSE&G Switch Fix

PJM told the Transmission Expansion Advisory Committee it has developed an alternative solution to address the fire hazard at Public Service Electric and Gas’ Newark transmission switch that would cost $275 million, saving $78 million from a proposal outlined previously.

Planners said the switch is considered at the end of its life and failure to replace it could result in a fire that could engulf the substation, which was built in 1957.

A fire would threaten a nearby school and healthcare facility as well as possibly cut service to 300 MVA of load, including Newark City Hall, Rutgers University facilities, Prudential Center, several data centers and two train lines.

A proposal outlined last August called for building a new gas-insulated switch station adjacent to the existing switch at a cost of $353 million.

The new proposal modifies the scope and layout, reducing constructability concerns. PJM said it would save $18 million in direct costs and $60 million in risk contingency expenses. It would be fully energized by June 2021.

PJM Recommends Spending $10M to Correct AEP Voltage Problem

PJM said it is recommending installing 300-MVAR reactors at American Electric Power’s Ohio Central and West Bellaire 345-kV substations at a cost of $5 million each. Planners said the reactors were needed to correct high voltages on the extra-high-voltage system in AEP’s service territory during light load conditions. PJM is targeting a Sept. 1, 2018, in-service date.

– Rory D. Sweeney