IRO-009-1: Reliability Coordinator Actions to Operate Within IROLs

Purpose
To prevent instability, uncontrolled separation, or cascading outages that adversely impact the reliability of the interconnection by ensuring prompt action to prevent or mitigate instances of exceeding Interconnection Reliability Operating Limits (IROLs).

Applicability
Reliability Coordinator

Proposed Effective Date
In those jurisdictions where no regulatory approval is required, the standard shall become effective on the latter of either April 1, 2009 or the first day of the first calendar quarter, three months after BOT adoption.

In those jurisdictions where regulatory approval is required, the standard shall become effective on the latter of either April 1, 2009 or the first day of the first calendar quarter, three months after applicable regulatory approval.

Requirements
R1. For each IROL (in its Reliability Coordinator Area) that the Reliability Coordinator identifies one or more days prior to the current day, the Reliability Coordinator shall have one or more Operating Processes, Procedures, or Plans that identify actions it shall take or actions it shall direct others to take (up to and including load shedding) that can be implemented in time to prevent exceeding those IROLs. (Violation Risk Factor: Medium) (Time Horizon: Operations Planning or Same Day Operations)

R2. For each IROL (in its Reliability Coordinator Area) that the Reliability Coordinator identifies one or more days prior to the current day, the Reliability Coordinator shall have one or more Operating Processes, Procedures, or Plans that identify actions it shall take or actions it shall direct others to take (up to and including load shedding) to mitigate the magnitude and duration of exceeding that IROL such that the IROL is relieved within the IROL’s Tv. (Violation Risk Factor: Medium) (Time Horizon: Operations Planning or Same Day Operations)

R3. When an assessment of actual or expected system conditions predicts that an IROL in its Reliability Coordinator Area will be exceeded, the Reliability Coordinator shall implement one or more Operating Processes, Procedures or Plans (not limited to the Operating Processes, Procedures, or Plans developed for Requirements R1) to prevent exceeding that IROL. (Violation Risk Factor: High) (Time Horizon: Real-time Operations)

R4. When actual system conditions show that there is an instance of exceeding an IROL in its Reliability Coordinator Area, the Reliability Coordinator shall, without delay, act or direct others to act to mitigate the magnitude and duration of the instance of exceeding that IROL within the IROL’s Tv. (Violation Risk Factor: High ) (Time Horizon: Realtime Operations)

R5. If unanimity cannot be reached on the value for an IROL or its Tv, each Reliability Coordinator that monitors that Facility (or group of Facilities) shall, without delay, use the most conservative of the values (the value with the least impact on reliability) under consideration. (Violation Risk Factor: High) (Time Horizon: Real-time Operations)

Measures
M1. Each Reliability Coordinator shall have, and make available upon request, evidence to confirm that it has Operating Processes, Procedures, or Plans to address both preventing and mitigating instances of exceeding IROLs in accordance with Requirement R1 and Requirement R2. This evidence shall include a list of any IROLs (and each associated Tv) identified in advance, along with one or more dated Operating Processes, Procedures, or Plans that that will be used.

M2. Each Reliability Coordinator shall have, and make available upon request, evidence to confirm that it acted or directed others to act in accordance with Requirement R3 and Requirement R4. This evidence could include, but is not limited to, Operating Processes, Procedures, or Plans from Requirement R1, dated operating logs, dated voice recordings, dated transcripts of voice recordings, or other evidence.

M3. For a situation where Reliability Coordinators disagree on the value of an IROL or its Tv the Reliability Coordinator shall have, and make available upon request, evidence to confirm that it used the most conservative of the values under consideration, without delay. Such evidence could include, but is not limited to, dated computer printouts, dated operator logs, dated voice recordings, dated transcripts of voice recordings, or other equivalent evidence. (R5)

Associated Documents
IROL Vioation Report