By Chris O’Malley

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said last week that SPP must engage in interregional coordination and cost allocation with the Southeastern Regional Transmission Process region (SERTP), rejecting the RTO’s request for a limited waiver of Order 1000 requirements.

FERC’s ruling came in a 94-page order that approved Order 1000 compliance filings by SPP and the SERTP utilities, subject to additional filings (ER13-1939).

SPP had argued its only interconnection to SERTP was via Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. (AECI), which supplies 51 local electric cooperatives in Missouri, Iowa and Oklahoma.

Because AECI is “a non-commission jurisdictional utility” that does not intend to revise its Open Access Transmission Tariff to implement Order 1000, SPP argued, it was impossible for the RTO to comply with Order 1000’s requirements regarding the SERTP seam.

A waiver is also appropriate, SPP argued, because it and AECI already engage in interregional coordination through a joint operating agreement. The two regions have been exploring revisions to the JOA to provide “similar benefits that the requirements of Order No. 1000 intend to provide,” SPP said.

FERC noted, however, that AECI voluntarily enrolled in the SERTP region. “As a result, SPP and SERTP are neighboring transmission planning regions,” the commission said.

Large Number of Interconnections

FERC also said the RTO is connected to AECI “to a greater degree than SPP suggests” because of the large number of interconnections between AECI and 10 SPP members, including Kansas City Power & Light and Westar Energy.

The commission also rejected SPP’s claim that FERC had set a precedent for its request when it granted a waiver to Maine Public Service Co. FERC noted that Maine Public Service is not interconnected to the United States but rather to Canada. That unique situation made it impossible to join a transmission planning region consistent with Order 1000.

The commission accepted interregional cost allocation filings by SERTP members Southern Co., Duke Energy Carolinas, Louisville Gas & Electric, Kentucky Utilities and Ohio Valley Electric Corp. with a few caveats.

FERC ordered the companies to provide identical language in provisions on cost allocation, data exchange and the identification of interregional transmission facilities.