By Kennedy Maize
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission yesterday (Mar. 19) spent a good portion of its monthly meeting discussing a notational order issued six days before, unanimously blessing a plan by the Southwest Power Pool to combine new generation requests and grid interconnection reviews.
Chairman Laura Swett said she hoped the SPP plan would inspire “PJM and other RTOs to make reforms” in the way they consider integrating new generation and access to the interstate high-voltage grid.
Displaying a poster comparing the traditional separate processes with SPP’s combined analysis, Commissioner David Rosner said the new approach will save time and money for the companies and their customers. He said the conventional approach is taking some three to six years to complete, while the SPP plan can accomplish the same goal in a year.
Commissioner Judy Chang noted her concurrence with the order soon after its March 16 approval (joined by Rosner). She wrote, “SPP’s CPP proposal addresses the core issue that has been delaying the interconnection of new generation: transmission upgrade cost uncertainties. Currently, interconnection customers must make difficult financial choices at many points in the interconnection process. They face requirements to submit large, non-refundable deposits, subjecting themselves to significant withdrawal penalties without sufficient confidence regarding their network upgrade cost exposure.”
In a news release soon after FERC formally approved the plan, Little Rock-based SPP said its plan “streamlines SPP’s transmission planning and GI study processes and stands as a first-of-its kind blueprint for keeping the regional grid reliable and affordable.” Casey Cathey, SPP vice president of engineering, said, “The CPP unlocks the ability to plan and build the grid at a scale and speed the future demands. It’s a powerful step toward a more reliable, resilient, and valuable system that can meet unprecedented load growth and connect the next generation of resources.”
In other action on Thursday, the commission approved three rules designed to improve reliability and security of the U.S. electrical system, all originally proposed by the North American Electric Reliability Corp.
- The first signs off on 11updated standards aimed at protecting virtualization technologies. A FERC news release describes these as giving “entities greater flexibility to adopt efficient, modern tools that reduce hardware needs and strengthen cyber defenses across the bulk power system” and reducing the “administrative burden for entities that require alternative mitigation measures, while still meeting security objectives.”
- The second NERC-requested action strengthens one of NERC’s regular reliability standards, known in NERCspeak as “CIP Reliability Standards.” The modified rule “requires new password protocols for remote users (including safeguards for passwords) and the detection of intrusions…” According to FERC and NERC, it “represents significant progress in grid security”…”introducing new baseline security controls alongside current protections for grid operators, the final rule improves reliability by reducing the risk of potential system disruptions stemming from coordinated cyberattacks….”
- Third, the commission approved NERC’s updating of the definition of “control center” in NERC usage. According to FERC, “The revised definition improves reliability by helping entities better identify risks and protect high-risk assets.”
Thursday’s commission meeting, which occurred during Women’s History Month, came with the commission’s first ever majority of female commissioners, Swett, Lindsay See, and Chang. The official theme for this year’s annual event is “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.”