# Presentation: 549172

## Hearing to Consider Adoption of PURPA Standards

- October 26, 2006Western Area Power Administration

## Meeting Overview

- Purpose is to solicit public input on adoption of PURPA standards
- Brief presentation on each of the five standards
- Opportunity to ask questions, comment
- Court reporter
- Comments due by November 10

## Overview of Western

- Markets 10,000 MW of hydropower in 15 states to 750 customers
- Markets Federal share of thermal power from Navajo powerplant
- No load growth responsibility
- Primarily a wholesale utility, but some end-users served

## Western’s Service Territory

## Transmission Lines

## PURPA Overview

- Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 requires standards consideration
- Applies to Western as a non-regulated electric utility selling more than 500 GWh for purposes other than resale
- Energy Policy Act of 2005 requires consideration of five new standards

## PURPA Standards

- Fuel Sources
- Fossil Fuel Generation Efficiency
- Net Metering
- Smart Metering
- Consumer Interconnection

## Process to Date

- Published Federal Register Notice on August 4, 2006 (71 FR 44276)
- Prepared PURPA brochure
- Established website:
- 	_[www.wapa.gov/dsw/pwrmkt/PURPA](http://www.wapa.gov/dsw/pwrmkt/PURPA/)__[/](http://www.wapa.gov/dsw/pwrmkt/PURPA/)_

## Fuel Sources Standard

*   “**Each electric utility shall develop a plan to minimize dependence on one fuel source and to ensure that the electric energy it sells to consumers is generated using a diverse range of fuels and technologies including renewable technologies.”*

## Fuel Sources Standard

- Western markets renewable hydroelectric generation today
- Bureau, Corps construct dams, generation authorized by Congress
- No authority to build additional generation to meet load growth
- Fuel source diversification not a consideration

## Fossil Fuel Efficiency Standard

*   “**Each electric utility shall develop and implement a 10 year plan to increase the efficiency of its fossil fuel generation.”*

## Fossil Fuel Efficiency Standard

- Only fossil fuel generation is Navajo
- Western markets Navajo power not needed for CAP pumping
- Salt River Project is Navajo operator
- SRP is considering this standard in their PURPA compliance effort
- Western proposes no adoption

## Net Metering Standard

*   “**Each electric utility shall make available upon request net metering service to any electric consumer that the electric utility serves. For purposes of this paragraph, the term ‘net metering service’ means service to an electric consumer under which electric energy generated by that electric consumer from an eligible on-site generating facility and delivered to the local distribution facilities may be used to offset electric energy provided by the electric utility to the electric consumer during the applicable billing period.”*

## Net Metering Standard

- Western does not typically meet the entire load of its customers
- Typically, net metering would usually result in a reduction of other, higher-cost power supplies, not Western hydropower
- In those rare instances where Western does meet the entire customer load, Western today allows net metering to offset power billing for energy delivered by Western
- There appears to be no need for action on Western’s part in response to this standard

## Smart Metering Standard

*   ‘‘**Each electric utility shall offer each of its customer classes, and provide individual customers upon customer request, a time-based rate schedule under which the rate charged by the electric utility varies during different time periods and reflects the variance, if any, in the utility’s costs of generating and purchasing electricity at the wholesale level. The time-based rate schedule shall enable the electric consumer to manage energy use and cost through advanced metering and communications technology.”*

## Smart Metering Standard

- As discussed previously, Western typically does not meet the entire load of its customers
- Smart metering would usually result in a reduction of the need for other, higher-cost power supplies, not Western hydropower
- Although Western does meet the entire customer load in a few cases, Western to date has not received any requests to establish time-based rate schedules
- There appears to be no need to adopt this standard due to lack of customer interest

## Consumer Interconnection

*   “**Each electric utility shall make available, upon request, interconnection service to any electric consumer that the electric utility serves. For purposes of this paragraph, the term ‘interconnection service’ means service to an electric consumer under which an on-site generating facility on the consumer’s premises shall be connected to the local distribution facilities.”*

## Consumer Interconnection

- Western’s wholesale utility customers are principally responsible for providing consumer interconnection service to their local distribution facilities
- Western’s facilities are primarily bulk transmission system facilities
- Western manages all generator interconnections to its transmission system under the procedures set forth in Western’s FERC-approved OATT
- As Western has not received any requests for consumer interconnection service, there appears to be no need for Western to adopt this standard

## Questions and Comments

- Any questions on the presentations?
- Any comments on Western’s consideration of the standards?

## Next Steps

- Comments must be submitted by November 10, 2006
- By mail: PURPA Project Manager, Western Area Power Administration, Desert Southwest Region, P.O. Box 6457, Phoenix, AZ 85005-6457
- By fax: (602) 605-2828

## Next Steps

- By e-mail: DSW_PURPA@wapa.gov
- Questions: contact Deborah Emler, (602) 605-2566, emler@wapa.gov
- Western plans to complete its consideration of PURPA standards by early spring of 2007
- Western will respond to comments as part of its consideration process