[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 87 (Friday, May 4, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19745-19746]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-09450]



[[Page 19745]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. AD18-10-000]


Distributed Energy Resources--Technical Considerations for the 
Bulk Power System; Notice Inviting Post-Technical Conference Comments

    On April 10 and April 11, 2018, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission (Commission) staff convened a technical conference to 
discuss the participation of distributed energy resource (DER) 
aggregations in Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) and 
Independent System Operator (ISO) markets and to more broadly discuss 
the potential effects of DERs on the bulk power system.
    All interested persons are invited to file post-technical 
conference comments on the topics relating to the potential effects of 
DERs on the bulk power system as discussed during the technical 
conference, including the questions listed in the Supplemental Notices 
issued in this proceeding on March 29, 2018 and April 9, 2018. In 
addition, Commission staff is interested in comments on several follow-
up topics and questions. Commenters need not respond to all topics or 
questions asked. Attached to this notice are the topics and questions 
related to Panels 4 and 5 from the two previous notices, as well as 
Commission staff's follow-up questions related to those panels. Please 
file comments relating to these areas in Docket No. AD18-10-000.
    A notice inviting post-technical conference comments on the topics 
and questions concerning the Commission's DER aggregation proposal 
related to Panels 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 is being concurrently issued in 
Docket No. RM18-9-000. Please separately file comments relating to 
Panels 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 in Docket No. RM18-9-000.
    Commenters may reference material previously filed in this docket 
but are encouraged to avoid repetition or replication of previous 
material. In addition, commenters are encouraged, when possible, to 
provide examples in support of their answers. Comments must be 
submitted on or before 60 days from the date of this notice.
    For further information about this notice, please contact:

Technical Information

    Louise Nutter, Office of Electric Reliability, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 
502-8175, [email protected].
    Joe Baumann, Office of Electric Reliability, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 
502-8373, [email protected].

    Dated: April 27, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.

Post-Technical Conference Questions for Comment

AD18-10-000

Collection and Availability of Data on DER Installations (Panel 4)

    To plan and operate the bulk power system, it is important for 
transmission planners, transmission operators, and distribution 
utilities to collect and share validated data across the transmission-
distribution interface. In September 2017, the North American Electric 
Reliability Corporation (NERC) published a Reliability Guideline on DER 
modeling (Guideline) that specified the minimum DER information needed 
by transmission planners and planning coordinators to assist in 
modeling and conducting assessments.\1\ The Guideline references the 
importance of static data (such as the capacity, technical 
capabilities, and location of a DER installation) for the entities 
involved in the planning of the bulk power system. The following 
questions focus on understanding the need for bulk power system 
planners and operators to have access to accurate data to plan and 
operate the bulk power system, explore the types of data that are 
needed, and assess the current state of DER data collection. The 
following questions also address regional DER penetration levels and 
any potential effects of inaccurate long-term DER forecasting. The 
Commission Staff DER Technical Report,\2\ issued on February 15, 2018, 
provides a common foundation for the topics raised in this panel.
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    \1\ See NERC Distributed Energy Resource Modeling Reliability 
Guideline, at 5 (Sept. 2017), available at http://www.nerc.com/comm/PC_Reliability_Guidelines_DL/Reliability_Guideline_-_DER_Modeling_Parameters_-_2017-08-18_-_FINAL.pdf.
    \2\ The report is available at https://www.ferc.gov/legal/staff-reports/2018/der-report.pdf.
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    Comments are requested on the following topics and questions that 
were included in previous supplemental notices:
    1. What type of information do bulk power system planners and 
operators need regarding DER installations within their footprint to 
plan and operate the bulk power system? Would it be sufficient for 
distribution utilities to provide aggregate information about the 
penetration of DERs below certain points on the transmission-
distribution interface? If greater granularity is needed, what level of 
detail would be sufficient? Is validation of the submitted data 
possible using data available?
    2. What, if any, data on DER installations is currently collected, 
and by whom is it collected? Do procedures and appropriate agreements 
exist to share this data with affected bulk power system entities 
(i.e., those entities responsible for the reliable operation of the 
bulk power system or for modeling and planning for a reliable bulk 
power system)? Is there variation by entity or region?
    3. At various DER penetration levels, what planning and operations 
impacts do you observe? Do balancing authorities with significant 
growth in DERs experience the need to address bulk power system 
reliability and operational considerations at certain DER penetration 
levels? What are they? Is the MW level of DER penetration the most 
important factor in whether DERs cause planning and operational 
impacts, or do certain characteristics of installed DERs affect the 
system operator's analysis? Is there a threshold that could trigger a 
need for distribution utilities to share information on DERs with the 
bulk power system operator, such as the point at which DER penetration 
causes bulk power system reliability and operational impacts, or some 
other, lower, level of penetration? How could the answer to these 
questions vary on a regional basis, and what factors may contribute to 
this variance?
    4. How are long-term projections for DER penetrations developed? 
Are these projections currently included in related forecasting 
efforts? Do system operators study the potential effects of future DER 
growth to assess changing infrastructure and planning needs at 
different penetration levels?
    5. What are the effects on the bulk power system if long-term 
forecasts of DER growth are inaccurate? Are these effects within 
current planning horizons? Are changes in the expected growth of DERs 
incorporated into ongoing planning efforts? Can these uncertainties be 
treated similarly to other uncertainties in the planning process?
    6. How are DERs incorporated into production cost modeling studies? 
Do current tools allow for assessment of forecasting variations and 
their effects?
    7. Noting that participation in the RTO/ISO markets by DER 
aggregators may provide more information to the RTOs/ISOs about DERs 
than would otherwise be available, should any specific information 
about DER aggregations or the individual DERs in

[[Page 19746]]

them be required from aggregators to ensure proper planning and 
operation of the bulk power system?
    8. Do the RTOs/ISOs need any directly metered data about the 
operations of DER aggregations to ensure proper planning and operation 
of the bulk power system?
    Based on the discussion at the April 10-11 Technical Conference, 
comments are also requested on the following additional questions:
    9. What can DERs offer to support or enhance bulk power system 
reliability? How can these benefits be quantified? Are these 
opportunities unique to DERs?
    10. With the recently approved IEEE 1547-2018 Standard, what 
coordination or collaboration is needed to leverage the Standard's 
technical requirements (e.g., ride-through settings, communication 
capabilities) in a manner that supports bulk power system reliability?
    11. Is a formal development of a grid architecture that includes 
distribution and transmission systems necessary to facilitate planning 
efforts to incorporate DERs?
    12. What specific real-time DER data is needed to manage bulk power 
system reliability? Why is that data needed? Is there a specific 
penetration-level of DERs above which real-time data is needed? Without 
real-time DER data to ensure visibility of DER installations, what, if 
any, potential challenges and mitigating actions exist for RTOs/ISOs 
and transmission operators (e.g., the potential need to procure 
additional contingency reserves)? Please give examples.
    13. What challenges exist for DER developers and owners to provide 
DER real-time data? Please give examples.

Incorporating DERs in Modeling, Planning, and Operations Studies (Panel 
5)

    Bulk power system planners and operators must select methods to 
feasibly model DERs at the bulk power system level with sufficient 
granularity to ensure accurate results. The chosen methodology for 
grouping DERs at the bulk power system level could affect planners' 
ability to predict system behavior following events, or to identify a 
need for different operating procedures under changing system 
conditions. Further, the operation of DERs can affect both bulk power 
systems and distribution facilities in unintended ways, suggesting that 
new tools to model the transmission and distribution interface may be 
needed. Staff is also aware of ongoing work in this area, for example 
efforts at NERC, national labs, and other groups, to evaluate options 
for studies in these areas, which could also inform future work. The 
following questions focus on the incorporation of DERs into different 
types of planning and operational studies, including options for 
modeling DERs and the methodology for the inclusion of DERs in larger 
regional models. The Commission Staff DER Technical Report, issued on 
February 15, 2018, provides a common foundation for the topics raised 
in this panel.
    Comments are requested on the following topics and questions that 
were included in previous supplemental notices:
    1. What are current and best practices for modeling DERs in 
different types of planning, operations, and production cost studies? 
Are options available for modeling the interactions between the 
transmission and distribution systems?
    2. To what extent are capabilities and performance of DERs 
currently modeled? Do current modeling tools provide features needed to 
model these capabilities?
    3. What methods, such as net load, composite load models, detailed 
models or others, are currently used in power flow and dynamic models 
to represent groups of DERs at the bulk power system level? Would more 
detailed models of DERs at the bulk power system level provide better 
visibility and enable more accurate assessment of their impacts on 
system conditions? Does the appropriate method for grouping DERs vary 
by penetration level?
    4. Do current contingency studies include the outage of DER 
facilities, and if they are considered, how is the contingency size 
chosen? At what penetration levels or under what system conditions 
could including DER outages be beneficial? Are DERs accounted for in 
calculations for Under Frequency Load Shedding and related studies?
    5. What methods are used to calculate capacity needed for balancing 
supply and demand with large amount of solar DER (ramping and frequency 
control) and determining which resources can provide an appropriate 
response?
    Based on the discussion at the April 10-11 Technical Conference, 
comments are also requested on the following additional questions:
    6. For planning efforts, how are model parameters determined and 
incorporated into existing models using currently available data on DER 
capabilities? What types of validation techniques are used for the data 
in these models and how often are they applied?
    7. Given the discussion on interactions between distribution and 
transmission operators, are further requirements for distributed 
controls, interoperability and/or cybersecurity protections being 
evaluated? Would advanced techniques and methods to simulate real-time 
systems, distributed controls and demand response or additional risk-
based planning methods, forecasting techniques and data analytics 
provide a benefit in this area? Which of these methods would provide 
the most value to operators and why?

[FR Doc. 2018-09450 Filed 5-3-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P