Transcript STEP Objectives

Spare Transformer
Equipment Program
(STEP)
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STEP Objectives
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Industry initiative to increase the number of available
spare transformers for use following a terrorist attack
Participating utilities commit to share their spares by
means of a binding agreement
Participating utilities obligate themselves to provide a
calculated number of spares to different voltage classes
(required obligation)
Required obligation varies depending on connected
load and current level of preparedness
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Current Industry Participation
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Number of utilities involved in the project to date
– 54
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Number of utilities that have signed the
agreement
– 20
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Number of utilities with signatures pending
– 17
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Utilities That Have Signed The Agreement
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Allegheny Power
American Electric Power
American Transmission Company
Cinergy Corporation
Duke Power
First Energy Corporation
Florida Power and Light Company
Michigan Electric Transmission
Company
Northeast Utilities
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
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Pepco Holdings
Public Service Company of New
Mexico
Public Service Electric & Gas
Puget Sound Energy
San Diego Gas and Electric
Southern California Edison
Southern Company
Texas-New Mexico Power
Company
TXU Electric Delivery Company
Xcel Energy
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Binding Sharing Agreement - 1
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Open to all types of utilities
A Utility does not become a participating utility until it
secures any necessary regulatory approvals and two
other utilities are participating in a class.
Obligation
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Calculated by voltage class
Recalculated each year
Two years to meet initial obligation
If a committed spare is used, a utility agrees to replace the
transformer
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Binding Sharing Agreement - 2
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Triggering Event
Call Rights – A participating utility is qualified to
exercise a call right if:
– It is in compliance with its obligations under the Sharing
Agreement,
– Has suffered the loss or long-term disabling of one or more
substations in connection with a triggering event, and,
– After taking all actions necessary to use all spare
transformers that it owns or has rights to access, it is still
unable to satisfy an N-0 contingency.
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Binding Sharing Agreement - 3
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Committed Spare Transformers can be jointly owned
Spare transformers committed under the Sharing Agreement are
to be maintained in accordance with Good Utility Practices.
Governance under Sharing Agreement
– Agreement provides for an overall Equipment Committee,
– Equipment Sub-Committee for each equipment class, and
– Eleven-member Executive Committee (8 current NERC Regions, 1 small,
2 at large)
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Utility may withdraw its membership from an equipment class
only upon a minimum of two year's prior written notice to the
Equipment Committee and the relevant Equipment SubCommittee.
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Voltage Classes Currently Under Consideration
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500-345
500-230
500-161
500-138
500-115
500-069
345-230
345-161
345-138
345-115
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230-161
230-138
230-115
230-069
161-138
161-115
161-069
138-115
138-069
115-069
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Voltage Obligation Calculation
Step 1 for Self Assessment
Each Utility
 Reviewed the five most critical substations in each voltage class
 Assumed all equipment and spares in the substation were
destroyed
 Assumed system recovery to N-0 condition
 Each utility identified how it would respond to the loss, e.g.
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Serving the load from other substations
Re-dispatching generation
Moving in a spare from another location
Moving in an in-service transformer from another substation
Acquiring a spare from outside their system
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Voltage Obligation Calculation
Determining Transformers Required
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Utilities determined number and sizes of transformers needed to
restore their system after a 5 substation attack
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Data for all participating utilities within a voltage class is compiled
Total need for the class is determined by worst case utility’s need
Each utility is assigned an obligation (MVA) based on their
proportion of spares needed to restore their system and their
proportion of total connected transformer MVA in class
Utilities can meet their obligation with any combination of existing
spares or newly acquired spares, including jointly owned spares
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Current Activity
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The STEP Agreement has been sent out for
execution
Companies are currently signing up
Obligation calculation and subcommittee
leadership election meeting will be April 27-28 in
Dallas
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For Additional Information
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Sharing Agreement
– Sylvia Foya
– [email protected]
– 202-508-5129
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General Administration
– Gail Royster
– [email protected]
– 202-508-5587
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Obligation Calculation
– Ken Hall
– [email protected]
– 828-400-7815
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