ERCOT Regional Planning Group Meeting Notes - 1/17

Agenda

1.     Antitrust Admonition

2.     Miscellaneous Updates

3.     EIR Status Update – Pecos County Transmission Improvement Project

a.     ERCOT presentation posted and given. This is a Tier 1 project in far west Texas, expected to cost approximately $108M. ERCOT presented their final recommendation, along Option 1.

b.     Commenters asked about the inclusion of large flexible loads (LFL). They are modeled at peak load and the study assumptions include about 4,000MW LFL in the study area.

4.     EIR Status Update - Rio Medina Project

a.     ERCOT presentation posted and given. This is a Tier 2 project in southwest Texas, expected to cost $38M. ERCOT presented the options considered and preliminary analysis.

b.     A question was asked about whether the load being served was new or existing, and how that load was justified – whether it has signed an interconnection agreement and posted security. ERCOT responded that this was an ERCOT-justified load. The commenter raised the question about the strict language in NPRR1180 and PGRR107, and whether existing load being studied meets the ERCOT stated that contemplated in ERCOT language in those revisions. They responded that this is a confirmed load that has completed the LFL interconnection process. The commenter’s intention was to understand how load is being addressed in this changing environment.

c.     A question was asked about the historical data that was used for the maintenance criteria. It was scaled down to 83.7% or fall/spring peak load. They also asked about the maintenance outage criteria used. ERCOT did not use the minimum load conditions for the maintenance criteria because they wanted to ensure that they allow enough time for those outages, while ensuring reliability.

d.     This study was done based on N-2, as a proxy for N-1-1. This depended on whether both circuits on dual circuit would need to be out in various scenarios. ERCOT defined the initial contingency and then what the second contingency is, which may not capture all real-world scenarios. The N-2 is for screening purposes and then ERCOT can look more in depth at other contingencies.

5.     EIR Status Update - San Miguel to Marion 345-kV Project

a.     ERCOT presentation posted and given. This is a Tier 1 project in the San Antonia area that will not require a CCN. It is expected to cost approximately $259M.

b.     ERCOT was asked whether it was considering CIP-14 or fault duty when they’re evaluating station loading. ERCOT said that CIP-14 was definitely things they look at when they are evaluating diversity of end points. Fault duty is not an initial consideration, but comes into the discussion later in the process.

6.     Oncor West Texas 345-kV Infrastructure Rebuild Project

a.     Presentation posted and given by Oncor to present their west Texas rebuild project.

b.     These changes are based on Oncor’s TSP Joint study in 2021 and the IHS Markit study. Oncor reminded the group about the language in HB5066 that speaks to a plan for the Permian Basin.

c.     The group discussion how large load were addressed by the study and the potential need to incorporate a dynamic study into the evaluation.

7.     ERCOT Independent Review Scope: Permian Basin Evaluation

a.     ERCOT presentation posted and given.

b.     Transmission owners have provided load information for use in the review. The final report is due in July, and it was noted that this is a time-constrained process.

c.     A concern was raised that there is not a dynamic review, only steady state. A commenter noted that this was an issue on CREZ, where only a steady state was done, and they had to go back to do a dynamic study. The commenter conjectured that there would be 3-4 345kV lines needed here and asked whether ERCOT was looking at other solutions, other than 345kV lines. ERCOT responded that they are studying stability issues in the area in the RTP and other stability analyses.

d.     A stakeholder asked whether this would go to TAC and the Board, or skip to the PUC. After the study results are finalized in July, it will go straight back to the PUC.

8.     2023 RTP Economic Study Results

a.     ERCOT presentation posted and given.

b.     The PCS and GRR economic tests were used, using 2025 and 2028 study cases.

c.     ERCOT is evaluating resiliency criteria to be used – it was to be shred in Q1 2024, but that is optimistic. ERCOT is currently developing the assumptions for the grid resiliency study and they will be bringing that to stakeholders for review in the next few months.

d.     A stakeholder asked for an update on the development of the new congestion cost savings test. ERCOT responded that they are working on the revision request language that would implement the results for the E3 study and plan to bring that to stakeholders in the next few months.

9.     2023 RTP Final Update

a.     ERCOT presentation posted and given.

b.     There are 173 projects this year, an increase over the 89 projects from the previous year.

10.  2024 RTP Load Review

a.     ERCOT presentation posted and given.

b.     The next RTP review process was launched.

11.  Adjourn