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In the News

Home Communications In the News Winter Preparedness Following the Polar Vortex

10.7.2020

Winter Preparedness Following the Polar Vortex

by Richard Schulte, NERC Reliability Specialist

 

Winter PreparednessFall has arrived here in the US, and Winter is not far behind.  It is time to prepare for the coming cold weather, and the chance that extreme cold conditions could occur.  When we think of cold weather, we think of the Northeast, Midwest and the Plains States.  The Southern and Southwestern sections of the country have also seen extreme cold conditions.  In February 2011, Albuquerque, New Mexico had low temperatures range from +7 to -7 degrees February 2 – 6.  On February 25, 2003 temperatures in Dallas and Austin Texas did not rise above freezing.  Where ever you are located, there is a chance that a polar vortex could affect you.  Here is an excerpt from ReliabilityFirst’s Review of Winter Preparedness following the Polar Vortex:  

     “In early January 2014, the Midwest, South Central, and East Coast regions of North America experienced an extreme weather condition known as the “polar vortex.”  ReliabilityFirst Corporation (“RF”) took a number of actions following the polar vortex to understand the issues that occurred during the polar vortex and the extent to which those issues have been resolved.  In conducting this work, RF identified positive observations and best practices indicating improvements in cold-weather preparedness, along with areas where Registered Entities could still improve.  RF also took a broader look at the polar vortex and identified four themes that emerged in terms of actions to take to prepare for future similar weather conditions, and identified management practices, that, if implemented, could assist in the preparation.  The purpose of this report is to communicate these observations, best practices, areas for improvement, and themes and management practices so that we can all learn from the events during the polar vortex and improve system reliability and resiliency during extreme weather events.”   

As we prepare our facilities for the coming winter, this report has several best practices and positive observations to help keep your facility operational and maintain reliability of the electric grid.  Examples of observations and practices: 

  • Install additional freeze  protections, including heat tracing circuits, wind and cold barriers or windbreaks, enclosures, double insulation and portable heaters 
  • Generate and distribute a checklist of duties to operators 72 hours prior to an expected storm or cold weather event 
  • Pre-schedule operation of the generating facility prior to and expected storm or cold weather event 
  • Schedule an extra operator who is dedicated to monitoring any potential or realized adverse effects of cold weather conditions 

  RF goes on to say:  “It is important for entities to learn from their own good practices and from others’ good practices.  Additionally, although it is also important for entities to learn from past failures and issues and to correct those realized failure modes, it is equally important, if we are to achieve a robust reliable system, that entities contemplate possible future, yet unrealized, failure modes so as not to have to endure actual failures and issues before taking the appropriate mitigating actions.”  RF encourages entities to: 

  1. Proactively identify future possible failure modes 
  2. Contemplate likely root causes that might precipitate those failure modes; 
  3. Perform a reliability risk assessment and prioritize the high risk/high impact root causes and failure modes; 
  4. Design and implement controls to mitigate those risks; and  
  5. Periodically verify and validate the effectiveness of those controls 
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    CAISO Generator Modeling Process and Data Requirements

    Don’t wait until the last minute. You should allow time for at least one iteration with CAISO so that you are complete and deemed compliant before your deadline.

    On August 1, 2018, CAISO introduced a revised Business Practice Manual for Transmission Planning Process (BPM), which includes new data requirements for interconnected generation resources within the ISO’s footprint. Section 10 of the BPM establishes revised data requirements and compliance procedures for all participating generators including non-NERC registered entities. While additional requirements have been placed on larger NERC registered facilities, these changes may pose an even greater burden to entities that have been exempt from NERC mandated modeling and protection requirements.

    New data requirements include voltage and frequency protection models, power flow models, and in some cases, sub-synchronous resonance models. These models must be verified using criteria listed in the BPM, which can only be performed by entities with modeling software and knowledge of modeling practices.

    NAES is prepared to assist entities with data aggregation, modeling, and testing to ensure compliance with CAISO’s data requests. The following links will allow entities to determine when to expect their individual data requests (phase) and what data will be required (category).

    Business Practice Manual (BPM)

    Entity Category and Phase Listing

    CAISO Transmission Planning Website

    TPL-007

    TPL-007 establishes planning criteria for induced currents caused by geomagnetic disturbances. The standard is applicable to facilities using transformer(s) with a high side, wye grounded winding operated above 200 kV and can require both submittal of general geomagnetic data (R2) and thermal impact assessments (R6) depending on results of Planning Coordinator analysis.

    VOLTAGE AND REACTIVE (VAR) STANDARDS

    VAR-501-WECC

    VAR-501-WECC requires applicable entities within the WECC region to confirm performance settings and characteristics of Power System Stabilizers (PSS). NAES provides physical testing and reporting services to address WECC’s specific PSS requirements.

    PERSONNEL PERFORMANCE, TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS

    PER-006

    PER-006 requires Generator Operators to provide training to personnel who are responsible for the Real-time control of a generator. NAES has developed specific protection system training materials suitable for compliance with the Standard and provides this training both on and off site

    PROTECTION AND CONTROL (PRC) STANDARDS

    PRC-001

    PRC-001 requires entities to coordinate protection system changes with other affected parties. NAES offers both procedural documentation and engineering services to establish the required coordination for both PRC-001 and PRC-027.

    PRC-002

    PRC-002 requires the installation and operation of disturbance monitoring equipment (DME) for applicable entities. NAES can assist with the design and installation of DME as well as ongoing compliance support.

    PRC-019

    PRC-019 requires applicable entities to show coordination between voltage regulating controls, limiters, equipment capabilities, and protection settings. NAES produces PRC-019 specific coordination studies for both traditional generators and renewable projects to establish compliance with the Standard.

    PRC-023

    PRC-023 requires load responsive protective relays be set according to criteria within the Standard to ensure settings do not limit transmission loadability. NAES provides full engineering analyses to maintain compliance with this Standard.

    PRC-024

    PRC-024 requires applicable entities to ensure generator protective relays do not trip within predefined frequency and voltage limits. NAES can complete protection settings analyses and provide compliance documentation that clearly identifies protection settings as they relate to NERC’s “no trip” zones.

    PRC-025

    PRC-025 establishes minimum settings requirements for load-responsive relays protecting generators, step up transformers, and auxiliary transformers. NAES utilizes predefined calculation options as well as simulations to determine a facility’s compliance status and development of new relay settings if required.

    PRC-026

    PRC-026 requires applicable entities to perform load responsive relay settings analyses based on criteria identified within the Standard. Entities are typically notified by the Planning Coordinator when an analysis is required. NAES performs all required studies to establish compliance.

    MODELING, DATA, AND ANALYSIS (MOD) STANDARDS

    MOD-025

    MOD-025 requires Real and Reactive Power capability testing for individual generating units over 20 MVA or facilities with over 75 MVA of generation capacity. NAES offers site specific test procedures and/or complete onsite testing services to meet the requirements of this standard.

    MOD-026

    MOD-026 requires verification of excitation or volt/var control dynamic models through utilization of either system disturbances or physical testing. NAES offers full testing and modeling services to meet the requirements of this standard.

    MOD-027

    MOD-027 requires verification of governor or active power/frequency control dynamic models through utilization of either system disturbances or physical testing. NAES offers full testing and modeling services to meet the requirements of this standard.