Richard Schulte, NERC Reliability Specialist

2016 does not seem like that long ago, when plants were performing Real and Reactive Power testing for MOD-025-2, and the voltage regulating system controls coordination study for PRC-019-2 to meet the deadline date of July 1, 2016.  Contractors were frantically completing testing and studies for many plants as the deadline approached.  Plant Managers were scrambling to get contractors.  It was a very hectic time for Plant Managers and contractors trying to meet the deadline.

It is now 2020, and time to start planning for the work necessary for these standards again.  Testing for MOD-025 is required to be completed every 5 years, not to exceed 66 months from your last testing date.  The coordination study for PRC-019 is required to be completed every 5 calendar years.  Budget season is starting soon, and you will be planning what you need to spend next year.  Have you thought of MOD-025?  PRC-019? When was the date of your last testing/study?  Did you hire a contractor to assist you with the testing, or did you perform it yourself?

For the MOD-025-2 Real and Reactive testing this time, you can perform staged testing as you did in 2016.  Or, you can use operational data.  To use operational data, the data must meet the requirements of MOD-025 Attachment 1, sections 2.1 through 2.4 under Verification Specifications.  Review your Historian data to see if you did meet the testing requirements for any of the 4 points of the test and document the information on MOD-025 Attachment 2.  For operational data that occurs on different dates, the earliest date of the data used sets the date for the start of your next 60-month period.

When completing your test forms, be sure that you fill them out correctly.  If you perform staged testing, be sure you mark staged and not operational on the test form.  Be sure to check which test the form is for.  Use the test form from your Transmission Planner if they require one. Verify your data telemetry is reading correctly.  Enter time of data telemetry verification, start time and stop time of all tests in your control room logbook.  MOD-025 Attachment 2 is your cheat sheet to ensure that all required information has been included in the test report.  You have 90 days from the test date to submit the results to your Transmission Planner.  If using operational data, you have 90 days from the date that the data is selected to submit to the Transmission Planner.  This transmittal is sometimes forgotten and is required by the standard! 

The coordination study for PRC-019-2 is to be completed in the calendar year 5 years from your last study. While full duplication of the previous coordination study is not strictly required, it is recommended that entities confirm that no changes have been implemented that would affect coordination between the voltage regulating controls and protection. Requirement R2 dictates that changes be coordinated within 90 days of implementation or identification, so it is important to follow up with any necessary actions within the allotted time period should discrepancies be identified during the 5-year review. There is no reporting required for this study, however document your review date and person who performed the review as evidence of meeting the 5-calendar year requirement.

Now is the time to start planning how you will complete the work necessary for these two standards.  Most plants will also need to do this work as well, so it is recommended to plan ahead as contractors will be very busy next year.  Review your reports and see when you last performed the testing.  Start contacting contractors (if needed) for quotes to include in your 2021 budget.   Once you have a  contractor, talk to them early to schedule a date for them to perform testing for MOD-025 or to review your PRC-019 study.  Also remember you will need to coordinate with your Transmission Operator for MOD-025 test dates.  The earlier you contact them, the more likely you are to get dates that will work with your plant schedule and your contractor.

Don’t delay, start planning today.  Next year at this time, you will be happy that you did!