Transmission System Operations

In the late 1990s the electrical power industry is going through a rapid period of change. The opening of the transmission systems to competition among generators and the splitting of vertically integrated utilities have changed the structure of the industry. The widespread blackout in northeastern North America in 1965 provided a great impetus for cooperation among utilities. With the advent of competition this has been replaced by the need for confidentiality. In this course we examine some of the implications for transmission system control brought about by these changes.

At the end of this course the students should be able to:

• Describe the different organizations providing electrical energy into the power system
• Describe the differences between power transmitters and power distributors
• Understand the functions of power marketers
• List 5 Interconnected Operations Services
• Know that the Independent System Operator deploys the Interconnected Operations Services
• Understand the functions of NERC, NAERO and FERC
• Know how to obtain the latest NERC (NAERO) documents from the Internet
• Understand how the Regional Security Coordinator resolves the question of information sharing
• List 3 functions of the Regional Security Coordinator
• Describe how the security coordinators maintain data confidential
• List two ways that a transmission line can reach its thermal limit
• List 6 characteristics of a transmission line that influence the amount of power it can carry
• Understand why the transfer capability may be less than the transmission capability
• Determine the first contingency total transfer capability (FCTTC)
• Understand why the transfer capability can be different in opposite directions
• Understand why a margin is often applied to transmission limits
• Understand how limits may be interrelated and how to display interrelated limits on a graph
• Describe why a capacity benefit margin is often part of the total transfer capability
• Define the terms “Curtailability” and “Recallability”
• Explain the components of the Available Transfer Capability in both the Planning and Operating time frames
• Describe why a utility can sell more recallable reservation than its Available Transfer Capability
• List 4 rules governing the priority for transfer capability
• Understand the Transmission Loading Relief Procedure for your area
• List 4 actions a security coordinator can take before instituting a transmission loading relief procedure
• List the priority in which 6 different types of recallable service will be recalled.
• Recognize that some flows do not follow the contract path
• Work through a sample calculation to show how transactions are reduced to relieve a transmission constraint
• Describe the difference between power and energy
• Describe the basic market functions in a deregulated power system environment
• Tell which functions are natural monopolies and which are competitive functions
• List 3 ways a power marketer can get power to sell
• List 3 ways a generating company can sell its power in a deregulated environment
• Describe the postage stamp technique for pricing transmission services
• Describe megawatt mile technique for pricing transmission services.
• Recognize the possibility of real time simulation for transmission pricing in the future
• List 4 factors that can increase the cost of transmitting power
• List 4 reasons for changes in flow leading to a need to re-dispatch generation
• Understand the capability of generators to produce reactive power
• Describe why customers may be willing to provide reactive power
• Recognize how independent entrepreneurs might be willing to provide reactive power in the future
• List 5 costs that have to be recovered by the ISO
• Understand the difference between firm power and non-firm power
• Describe what the GAPP experiment was
• Be aware of the OASIS network
• Know the relationship between NERC and NAERO
• Understand that each transaction must have a unique tag
• List 7 functions that a Tag Agent Service must be able to perform
• Understand the Tag Approval process
• List 5 functions that a Tag Approval Service must be able to perform
• List 4 components of a tag identifier
• Understand the meaning of 7 transaction status conditions
• Understand the process for approving tags submitted on time and those submitted after the deadline
• Realize that if a change to a transaction is required the original tag must be canceled and a new one issued