Jun e 25,200 4

Rober t Donaldson , Associat

e Directo r Burea u o f Wast e Prevention , Divisio n o f Busines s Complianc e Departmen

t o f Environmenta

l Protectio n On e Winter Stree t Boston , M A 0210 8
Dea r Mr

. Donaldson : Ia mwritin g o n behal f

o f IS O Ne w England Inc. , the Independen t Syste mOperato

r fo r th e bul k powe r gri d i n Ne w England , t o offe r comment s o n th e propose d amendment

s t o 31 0 CM R7.0 0 relatin g to engine s an

d combustio n turbines

. IS O Ne w England offere d comment s o n th e draf t regulation s i n Novembe

r 2003

. A t tha t time , IS O New England recommende d modifyin g th

e proposed definitio n o f

a n "Emergency " to mor e full y encompas s th

e spectru mo f operatin g procedure s undertake n b y IS O Ne w England unde r certain syste

mconditions

. IS O New England woul d lik e to tak e thi s opportunit

y to expres s it s continue d suppor t fo r a n expande d definitio n o f

"Emergency " i n th

e regulations

. IS O Ne w England' s Operating Procedure s ar e par t o f it s stakeholder-approved proces s fo r responding t o critica l syste mconditions

. These procedure s ma y be undertake

n fo r th e entir e New England bul k

powe r gri d or they ma y be targeted to specifi c regio n o f th e gri d dependin

g o n syste mconditions

. Because o f thi s rang e o f scope , th e curren t language i n th

e regulation s encompassin

g a"failur e o f

th e grid " a s a n emergenc

y make s i t

unclea r wha t action s woul d constitut e suc h acondition

. I t

woul d b e helpfu l i f

thi s ter mwer e clarifie d t o encompas s bot h system-wid

e an d localize d condition s o n th e grid

. W

e hav e suggeste

d language belo w t

o accomplis h this

. Additionally , th

e curren t languag e i n 10 3 CM R7.2 6 § 4 1 doe

s no t specificall y cove

r al l o f th e pertinen t action s tha

t IS O New Englan

d relie s o n unde

r certain emergenc

y condition s tha

t cal l o n th e us e o f on-site , emergenc

y generators

. IS O New England' s Operating Procedure s include Action s durin g aCapacit y Deficienc y (OP4 ) an

d Action s durin g a

n Emergenc

y (OP7)

. Operation s durin g aCapacit y Deficienc y contai n 1 6 specifi c action s to be take n b y th e gri d operator

.On

e o f th e action s durin g OP

4 i s actio n 12 , whic h implements a5 % voltag e reduction

. Th e curren t languag e i n th e definitio n o f

"Emergency " woul d cove r thi s action

. However , condition s ca

n sometime s occur , a

s the y di d durin g th

e Augus t 2003 blackout , i n arapi d an d cascadin g fashio n tha

t ma y requir e action s beyond , or

instea d of, voltag e reduction s an d should als o be considere

d emergencie s fo r

purpose s o f

the Department' s regulations

. IS O Ne w Englan d suggest s als o incorporatin g languag e fro mthese action s (O

P 4 action s 9,14 , 15 , 1 6 an d OP7 ) int o th e regulations

. Ou

r suggeste d languag e belo w woul d mak

e thi s possible

. Durin g these othe

r electricit y syste mconditions , participant s i n severa l o f IS O New England' s Deman

d Respons

e Program

s ma y nee d to respon

d t o syste moperato

r instruction s to emergenc y generator

s an d thu s nee

d to comply wit h emission s regulations

. Th e natur e o f bul k powe r syste moperations , an

d th e nee d fo r emergenc y on-sit e generator

s t o occasionally be calle d on , t

o establis h th

e electri c syste

mreliabilit y i n Ne w England , i s best serve d b y clear , unambiguou s language governin g engine s an d combustio n turbines

. Languag e tha t i s consisten

t wit h IS O New England' s applicabl e Operating Procedures , whic h ma y impac t on-sit e emergenc

y generators , ma

y provid e furthe r

clarity

. IS O Ne w England respectfull y request s tha t th e Departmen

t conside r th e followin g modificatio n to th

e definitio n o f

"Emergency " i n th

e Department' s proposed regulation : (CAPITA L letters indicat e suggeste

d language. ) "Emergenc

y mean s a n electri c powe

r outage du

e t o failur e o f

th e grid , I N WHOL E O

R I N PART , on-sit

e disaster, loca

l equipmen

t failure , flood , fire , o

r natura l disaster

. Emergenc

y shal l als o mea

n when th e imminen

t threa t o f apowe r outag e i s likel y du

e t o failur e o f

th e electrica l suppl y o r when capacit

y deficiencie s result

i n adeviatio n o f

voltag e fro mth

e electrica

l supplie r to th e premise s o f

thre e percen t (3% ) abov

e o r fiv e percen

t (5% ) belo w standar

d voltage , O

RPERIOD S DURING WHIC H IS O NE W ENGLAND , O R AN Y SUCCESSO

R REGIONA L TRANSMISSIO N ORGANIZATION , DIRECT S TH E IMPLEMENTATIO N O F VOLTAG E REDUCTIONS , VOLUNTAR Y LOA D CURTAILMENT S B Y CUSTOMERS , O R AUTOMATI C O

R MANUA L LOA D SHEDDIN G WITHI N MASSACHUSETT S I N RESPONS E T O UNUSUALL Y LO W FREQUENCY , EQUIPMEN T OVERLOAD , CAPACIT Y O

R ENERG Y DEFICIENCY , UNACCEPTABL E VOLTAG E LEVELS , O R OTHE RSUC H EMERGENC Y CONDITIONS. "
I f additiona

l informatio n abou

t Deman d Respons

e programs , emergenc

y generation , o

r Operating Procedure s woul d assis t i n th e Department' s determination , pleas e d o no t hesitat e to contac t m e t o furthe r discus s thi s matter

. Sincerely ,

Henr y Yoshimura Manager, Deman

d Respons

e