SNL News Texas regulators move ahead on ERCOT reliability standard review By Christine Cordner The Public Utility Commission of Texas on June 20 agreed to move ahead on an investigation into whether the Electric Reliability Council of Texas Inc.s current target reserve margin of 13.75% based on a one-in-10-year loss of load event is the most appropriate reliability standard for the state. During a business meeting, the PUCT asked its staff for a work plan in line with a June 13 staff memorandum seeking guidance for the investigation. Chairwoman Donna Nelson and Commissioner Kenneth Anderson said they supported its goal to direct ERCOT to perform a loss of load expectation study that calculates required reserve margins for several alternative reliability standards. Possible reliability criteria to examine included expected unserved energy, duration-specific and economically optimal standards, according to the staff memo. The LOLE study, staff said, would have the advantage of incorporating ERCOTs updated demand growth forecast, and would include updated weather, wind production and forced plant outage data. While results might not be available until near the end of 2014 or early 2015, this option would provide a more accurate reflection of current system conditions and assumptions, staff said.
Posted on: Mon, 23 Jun 2014 13:46:55 +0000