Source: http://regulations.delaware.gov/register/december2009/proposed/13%20DE%20Reg%20837%2012-01-09.htm
Timestamp: 2019-02-19 17:34:56
Document Index: 154044584

Matched Legal Cases: ['§201', '§10115', '§1133', '§10115', '§10117', '§502', '§10116', '§114', '§114', '§1002', '§209', '§1008', '§1002', '§1019', '§205', '§217', '§1019']

13 DE Reg 837 12-01-09
IN THE MATTER OF THE CONSIDERATION OF RULES,
STANDARDS AND INDICES TO ENSURE RELIABLE
ELECTRICE SERVICE BY ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION
COMPANIES (OPENED SEPTEMBER 26, 2000;
REOPENED OCTOBER 11, 2005;
REOPENED NOVEMBER 19, 2009
ORDER NO. 7689
AND NOW, this 19th day of November, 2009:
WHEREAS, by Order No. 7002 dated August 8, 2006, the Delaware Public Service Commission (the "Commission") approved proposed revisions to the Rules Governing Electric Service Reliability and Quality Standards (the "Rules") for electric distribution companies subject to the Commission's jurisdiction; and
WHEREAS, Section 9.0 of the Rules requires all electric distribution companies subject to Commission jurisdiction to convene a stakeholder meeting for interested parties to discuss electric service reliability of quality concerns prior to March 31 of each year; and
WHEREAS, the annual reliability statistics for Delmarva Power & Light Company ("Delmarva"), currently the only electric distribution company subject to the Commission's jurisdiction, are not compiled and available until May 1 of each year, and therefore the participants at the stakeholders' meeting discuss and review data that are nearly one year old; and
WHEREAS, Delmarva, the Commission Staff and the Division of the Public Advocate ("Public Advocate") believe that it is in the interests of the participating stakeholders to have available the most relevant and timely annual reliability performance statistics at the time of the annual meeting; and
WHEREAS, moving the date of the annual stakeholder meeting to a date later in the year would permit Delmarva to consider recommendations made at the stakeholder meeting during its budget cycle for possible implementation in the following year; and
WHEREAS, on October 29, 2009 Delmarva filed a motion to modify the Rules to amend Section 9.0 to change the deadline for convening the annual stakeholder meeting from March 31 to May 31 of each year; and
WHEREAS, the Staff and the Public Advocate agree with the proposed revision; and
WHEREAS, the Commission now proposes to revise the Rules to change the deadline for convening the annual stakeholder meeting from March 31 to May 31 of each year; and
WHEREAS, the Commission (out of an abundance of caution) believes that the proposed revision to the Rules could be deemed to make a substantive change in the Rules and, as such, should be published in the Delaware Register of Regulations to provide public notice of the proposed revision;
1. That, for the reasons set forth in the body of this Order, and pursuant to 26 Del.C. §§201, 1002, 1003 and 1009 and 29 Del.C. §10115, the Commission proposes to revise its "Electric Service Reliability and Quality Standards," originally adopted by PSC Order No. 6745 (October 11, 2005) and revised by PSC Order No. 7002 (Aug. 8, 2006). A copy of those rules in their current form as approved by the Commission in Order No. 7002, dated August 8, 2006, is appended as Exhibit "B" to this Order. The proposed revised Rules, which include the revision now being proposed for adoption, are attached to this Order as Exhibit "A."
2. That, pursuant to 29 Del.C. §§1133 and 10115(a), the Secretary shall transmit to the Registrar of Regulations for publication in the Delaware Register of Regulations a copy of this Order; a copy of the current "Electric Service Reliability and Quality Standards" (adopted in PSC Order No. 7002 (August 8, 2006)) (Exhibit "B"); and a copy of the revised "Electric Service Reliability and Quality Standards" now being proposed for adoption (Exhibit "A").
3. That, in addition, the Secretary shall transmit the Notice of Proposed Rule-Making attached hereto as Exhibit "C" to the Registrar of Regulations for publication in the Delaware Register of Regulations. In addition, the Secretary shall cause such Notice of Proposed Rule-Making to be published in The News Journal and the Delaware State News newspapers on December 1, 2009. The Secretary shall include proof of such publication in the docket file before the public hearing in this matter. Further, the Secretary shall serve (by regular mail or by electronic e-mail) a copy of such Notice on: (a) the Public Advocate; (b) the Delaware Energy Office; (c) Delmarva Power & Light Company; (d) all certificated electric suppliers; and (e) each person or entity that has made a timely request for advance notice of regulation-making proceedings.
4. That, pursuant to 29 Del.C. §§10115(a) and 10116, persons or entities may file written comments, suggestions, compilations of data, briefs, or other written materials, on or before December 31, 2009. Pursuant to 29 Del.C. §10117, the Commission will conduct a public hearing on the proposed revisions and resulting new "Electric Service Reliability and Quality Standards" on January 7, 2010 beginning at 1:00 P.M. at the Commission's office at 861 Silver Lake Boulevard, Cannon Building, Suite 100, Dover, Delaware.
5. That the Commission will defer for the time being referring this matter to a Hearing Examiner under 26 Del.C. §502 and 29 Del.C. §10116. Depending on what, if any, comments are received to the proposed revisions to the Rules, the Commission may determine at a later time that it is necessary to appoint a Hearing Examiner.
6. That Regina A. Iorii, Esquire, Deputy Attorney General, is designated Staff Counsel for this matter.
7. That, pursuant to 26 Del.C. §§114 and 1012(c)(2), Delmarva Power & Light Company is hereby notified that it will be charged the costs incurred in connection with this proceeding under the provisions of 26 Del.C. §114(b)(1).
1.1 Reliable electric service is of great importance to the Delaware Public Service Commission ("Commission"), because it is an essential service to the citizens of Delaware. This regulation, in support of 26 Del.C., §1002, sets forth reliability standards and reporting requirements needed to assure the continued reliability and quality of electric service being delivered to Delaware customers and is applicable to all Delaware Electric Distribution Companies ("EDCs") and Delaware Generation Companies.
1.3 Compliance with this regulation is a minimum standard. Compliance does not create a presumption of safe, adequate and proper service. Each EDC needs to exercise their professional judgment based on their systems and service territories. Nothing in this regulation relieves any utility from the requirement to furnish safe, adequate and proper service and to keep and maintain its property and equipment in such condition as to enable it to do so. (26 Del.C., §209)
1.4 Each EDC shall maintain the reliability of its distribution services and shall implement procedures to require all electric suppliers to deliver energy to the EDC at locations and in amounts which are adequate to meet each electric supplier's obligations to its customers. (26 Del.C., §1008)
“Acceptable reliability level” is defined as the maximum acceptable limit of the System Average Interruption Frequency Index (“SAIFI”), the Customer Average Interruption Duration Index (“CAIDI”) and the Forced Outage Rate as specified in Section D.
“Benchmark” means the standard service measure of SAIFI, CAIDI and Forced Outage Rate as set forth in these regulations.
“Constrained hours of operation” means the hours of electric system operation during which time there are limits, transfer constraints or contingencies on the delivery system that require off-cost dispatch of generating facilities located within the PJM DPL Zone. In measuring compliance to standard, total constrained hours will exclude “major events” and forced generator outages.
“Customers Experiencing Long Interruption Durations8 ('CELID8')” represents the total number of customers that have experienced a cumulative total of more than eight hours of outages.
“Customers Experiencing Multiple Interruptions8 ('CEMI8')” is an index that represents the total number of customers that have experienced nine or more interruptions in a single year reporting period.
“Dispatch time” is the elapsed time between receipt of a customer call and the dispatch of a service resource to address the customer’s issue as tracked by the OMS.
"Distribution facilities" means electric facilities located in Delaware that are owned by a public utility that operates at voltages of 34,500 volts or below and that are used to deliver electricity to customers, up through and including the point of physical connection with electric facilities owned by the customer.
“Forced outage” means the removal from service availability of a generating unit, transmission line, or other facility for emergency reasons or a condition in which the equipment is unavailable due to unanticipated failure. (See North American Electric Reliability Council - “Glossary of Terms” August 1996.)
“Forced outage rate” means the hours a generating unit, transmission line, or other facility is removed from service, divided by the sum of the hours it is removed from service plus the total number of hours the facility was connected to the electricity system expressed as a percent. (See North American Electric Reliability Council - “Glossary of Terms” August 1996.)
Multiple momentary forced outages on the same transmission line in the span of a single minute shall be treated as a single forced outage with the duration of one minute. When the operation of a transmission circuit is restored following a forced outage and the transmission line remains operational for a period exceeding one minute or more, followed by another forced outage, then these should be counted as two forced outages. Multiple forced outages occurring as a result of a single event should be handled as multiple forced outages only if subsequent operation of the transmission line between events exceeds one minute. Otherwise they shall be considered one continuous forced outage. (See Draft CAISO Transmission Control Agreement, Appendix C, ISO Maintenance Standards.)
“Generation Working Group” means a forum within which Generation companies can voluntarily provide to the Commission information related to the operation of their Generating Plants that would otherwise be required pursuant to these Regulations
“Interruption, scheduled” means an interruption of electric service that results when one or more components are deliberately taken out of service at a selected time, usually for the purposes of preventative maintenance, repair or construction. Scheduled interruptions, where attempts have been made to notify customers in advance, shall not be included in the SAIFI, CAIDI, or Forced Outage Rate calculations.
“Major Event” means an event consistent with the I.E.E.E.1366, Guide For Electric Power Distribution Reliability Indices standard as approved and as may change over time. For purposes of this regulation, changes shall be considered to be in effect beginning January 1 of the first calendar year after the changed standard is adopted by the I.E.E.E. Major event interruptions shall be excluded from the EDC’s SAIFI, CAIDI and Forced Outage Rate calculations for comparison to reliability benchmarks. Interruption data for major events shall be collected, and reported according to the reporting requirements outlined in Section 11.
“Pre-restructuring” refers to the five-year time frame prior to Delaware’s adoption of 26 Del.C., Chapter 10, Electric Utility Restructuring Statute.
“PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (‘PJM’)” means the independent system operator that is responsible for mid-Atlantic region wholesale energy markets and the interstate transmission of energy, or it’s successor organization.
“Power quality” means the characteristics of electric power received by the customer, with the exception of sustained interruptions and momentary event interruptions. Characteristics of electric power that detract from its quality include waveform irregularities and voltage variations – either prolonged or transient. Power quality problems shall include, but are not limited to, disturbances such as high or low voltage, voltage spikes or transients, flicker and voltage sags, surges and short-time overvoltages, as well as harmonics and noise.
“Reliability” means the degree of performance of the elements of the bulk electric system that results in electricity being delivered to customers within accepted standards and in the amount desired. Reliability may be measured by the frequency, duration, and magnitude of adverse effects on the electric supply. Electric system reliability can be addressed by considering two basic and functional aspects of the electric system – Adequacy and Security. (See ERC definition - NERC’s Reliability Assessment 2001-2010, dated October 16, 2001.)
Security - The ability of the electric system to withstand sudden disturbances such as electric short circuits or unanticipated loss of system elements. (See NERC definition - NERC’s Reliability Assessment 2001–2010, dated October 16, 2001.)
“Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition ('SCADA')” is an electronic communication and control system that provides electrical system operating information and mechanisms to remotely control energy flows and equipment.
“System Average Interruption Duration Index ('SAIDI')” represents the average duration of sustained interruptions per customer. SAIDI is defined as:
“Transmission facilities” means electric facilities located in Delaware and owned by a public utility that operates at voltages above 34,500 volts and that are used to transmit and deliver electricity to customers (including any customers taking electric service under interruptible rate schedules as of December 31, 1998) up through and including the point of physical connection with electric facilities owned by the customer.
3.1 Each EDC shall provide reliable electric service that is consistent with pre-restructuring service levels as identified in Section 4 and complies with 26 Del.C., §1002.
3.4 Each EDC, in accordance with Section 9, shall submit to the Commission, on or before March 31 of each year, a Planning and Studies Report identifying its current year’s annual objectives, planned actions and projects, programs, and forecast studies that serve to maintain reliability and quality of service at an acceptable reliability level.
3.5 Each EDC, in accordance with Section 10, shall submit to the Commission, on or before April 30 of each year, a Performance Report that assesses the achievement of the previous year’s objectives, planned actions, projects and programs, and assesses the relative accuracy of forecast studies and previous years performance measures with respect to benchmarks.
3.7 Each EDC shall ensure that distribution system generation interconnection requirements are consistent with the I.E.E.E. 1547 series, "Standard for Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems, as currently approved and as may be revised.
4.2 Each EDC shall maintain their electric service reliability and quality performance measures within the benchmark standard of this Section 4, Paragraph 4.3. SAIDI and Constrained Hours of Operation performance shall be measured each calendar year. Annual SAIDI and Hours of Constrained Operation performance equal to or better than the acceptable reliability level meets the standard of this regulation. When performance does not meet the acceptable reliability level, further review and analysis are required. The EDC may be subject to penalties as defined in Section 13. and subsequent corrective actions may be required.
5.1.3 Annual corrective and preventive maintenance program hours anticipated on Delaware transmission circuits, distribution circuits and substation equipment.
5.2 Performance objective measures shall be established to support the maintenance of electric reliability performance. Performance objectives shall be representative of expected performance, taking into consideration anticipated new construction projects, quality and maintenance programs, planned actions and any resource or time limitations.
7.1 Each EDC shall have an inspection and maintenance program designed to maintain delivery facilities performance at an acceptable reliability level. The program shall be based on industry codes, national electric industry practices, manufacturer's recommendations, sound engineering judgment and past experience.
8.1 Each EDC shall perform system load studies to identify and examine potential distribution circuit overloads, distribution substation and distribution substation supply circuit single contingencies and all transmission system single and double contingencies as specified by NERC, MAAC, Reliability First Corp. and PJM or successor requirements. Double contingency analysis should include supply service contingencies that may cause overloads or outages on the EDC's system. Where NERC, MAAC, Reliability First Corp or PJM requirements are not applicable, the EDC shall at a minimum examine circuit and equipment overloads under normal and single contingency conditions at peak load, with and without ALM or other demand response mechanisms. The EDC shall identify all projects and/or corrective actions that are planned to mitigate reliability loading issues identified in the study.
8.2 Delivery facility planning studies will be performed annually under conditions specified by NERC, MAAC, Reliability First Corp. and PJM or their successor organization's planning requirements, or as specified in 8.1. Studies shall identify required projects and/or planned corrective actions. For any study resulting in a thermal overload or an out-of-range voltage level, the study shall be performed again after the implementation of Active Load Management (ALM), system switching or reconfiguration.
9.1 Prior to March May 31 of each year, each EDC shall convene a stakeholder meeting offering opportunity for interested parties to discuss electric service reliability or quality concerns within Delaware. Such meeting shall be limited to discussion of publicly available information and at a minimum be open to generation companies, electric suppliers, municipals or other EDCs, PJM, state agencies and wholesale/retail consumers. Each EDC shall consider the resulting issues and include mitigation efforts in annual plans as appropriate.
9.3.2 Delivery load study results as described in Section 8., to include at a minimum the information for both year b and year c as specified in Section 8., Paragraph 8.3.;
9.3.4 The EDC's power quality program and any amendments as required in Section 6.;
9.3.5 The EDC's inspection and maintenance program, any amendments as required in Section 7., and any specific actions aimed at reducing outage causes;
10.1 By April 30 of each year, each EDC shall submit an annual Performance Report, summarizing the actual electric service reliability results. The report shall include the EDC's average three-year performance results, actual year-end performance measure results and an assessment of the results/effectiveness of the reliability objectives, planned actions and projects, programs, and load studies in achieving an acceptable reliability level.
10.2 Delivery facilities year-end performance measures, as established in Section 4., Paragraph 4.1 shall be reported as follows:
10.2.2.1 Current year and three-year average for the EDC's DPL Zone transmission system; and
10.2.2.2 Current year for the EDC's DPL Zone, classified by cause.
10.4 The Performance Report shall include annual information that provides the Commission with the ability to assess the EDC's efforts to maintain reliable electric service to all customers in the state of Delaware. Such reporting shall include the following items:
10.4.1.7 Transmission and Distribution progress per Section 7, Paragraphs 7.2 and 7.3; and
10.6 In the event that an EDC's reliability performance measure does not meet an acceptable reliability level for the calendar year, the Performance Report shall include the following:
10.7 The Performance Report shall include copies of current procedures identifying methods the EDC uses to ensure the electric supplier delivery of energy to the EDC at locations and in amounts which are adequate to meet each electric supplier's obligation to its customers.
10.10.1 The Commission shall designate one member of the Commission Staff to chair the Working Group. Such individual shall be referred to as the "Commission Staff Member."
10.10.2 Meetings of the Generation Working Group shall be no less frequently than semi-annually, and shall be scheduled by the Commission Staff Member.
10.10.3 The purpose of the semi-annual meetings will be for the Commission Staff Member and the participating Generation company or companies, as the case may be, to agree upon the specific parameters of generation information to be provided by member Generation companies to the Commission and how and when such information should be presented to the Commission. The specific parameters and presentation of information need not be identical for Generation Company, as agreed by the Generation Working Group.
10.10.4 In the event of a disagreement between the Commission Staff Member and a Generation company, the Generation Working Group will attempt to resolve the disagreement by consensus. If consensus cannot be achieved in a reasonable time, the Generation Working Group or any member may request a determination by the Commission of the issue.
10.10.7 The Commission and each member of the Generation Working Group shall implement all steps necessary to protect the confidentiality of commercially sensitive information provided by the Generation company or companies, as the case may be.
10.10.8 Each member of the Generation Working Group reserves the right to not provide information of a commercially-sensitive nature to all or some of the members of the Generation Working Group unless and until it obtains legally sufficient protection against non-disclosure of such information, and each such member shall take reasonable steps to procure such legally sufficient protection, to the extent these Rules do not constitute such protection.
10.10.9 Any Generation company participating in the Generation Working Group may withdraw at any time.
11. 1 Each EDC shall notify the Commission of major events as soon as practical, but not more than 36 hours after the onset of a major event. Initial notification is required when more than 10% of an EDC's customers experience a sustained outage during a 24 hour period; however, I.E.E.E. 1366 standard shall apply to all performance calculations.
11.2 Each EDC is expected to restore service to customers as quickly and safely as permitted by major event conditions. The EDC's restoration effort may be subject to review, subsequent corrective actions and penalties as permitted by 26 Del.C. §1019.
11.3.1 The date and time when the EDC's major event control center opened and closed;
11.3.3 The date and time when 75%, 95% and 100% of customers affected by a major event were restored;
12.2 Each EDC shall monitor dispatch, response and repair times for customer outages. In the event that average annual dispatch, response or repair performance times exceed the EDC's expected levels for the calendar year, the EDC shall include the following in its annual performance report.
13.1 Private or investor owned utilities and cooperatives, operating in Delaware under the regulation of the Commission, are subject to penalties and other remedial actions in accordance with 26 Del.C., §205(a), §217, and §1019. The Commission shall be responsible for assessing any penalty under this section, consistent with Delaware law. In determining if there should be a penalty for violation of a reporting requirement or benchmark standard and, if so, what the penalty amount should be, the Commission shall consider the nature, circumstances, extent and gravity of the violation including the degree of the EDC's culpability and history of prior violations and any good faith effort on the part of the EDC in attempting to achieve compliance. Such penalty shall not exceed $5,000 for each violation, with the overall penalty not to exceed an amount reasonable and appropriate for the violation (maximum of $600,000 per year per reporting or standard violation). Each day of noncompliance shall be treated as a separate violation. In the case of an electric cooperative, in violation of a reporting requirement or benchmark standard, the Commission shall not assess any monetary penalty that would adversely impact the financial stability of such an entity and any monetary penalty that is assessed against an electric cooperative shall not exceed $1,000 for each violation, which each day of noncompliance shall be treated as a separate violation (maximum of $60,000 per year per reporting or standard violation). Nothing in this section relieves any private or investor owned utility or cooperative from compliance or penalties, that may be assessed due to non-compliance with any requirement set forth under any other regulation, statute or order.
13.4 Each EDC not meeting performance benchmark standards as required by Section 4, shall inform its customers, in writing, of the results and plans to improve electric service reliability and quality by July 1 of the year following any year in which its performance does not meet an acceptable reliability level.
14.0 Outage Management System (OMS)
15.2 Reports shall be submitted as an original and 5 paper copies with one additional copy submitted electronically to the Secretary, Delaware Public Service Commission, with certification of authenticity by an officer of the corporation. The electronic copy may be posted on the Delaware Public Service Commission's Internet website.
15.3 Each EDC or generation company may request that information, required under this regulation, be classified as confidential, proprietary and/or privileged material. The requesting party must attest that such information is not subject to inspection by the public or other parties without execution of an appropriate proprietary agreement. Each party requesting such treatment of information is also obligated to file one (1) additional electronic and paper copy of the information, excluding the confidential or proprietary information. The Commission, in accordance with Rule 11, Rules of Practice and Procedure of the Delaware Public Service Commission, effective May 10, 1999, will treat such information as "confidential, not for public release" upon receipt of a properly filed request. Any dispute over the confidential treatment of information shall be resolved by the Commission, designated Presiding Officer or Hearing Examiner.
10 DE Reg. 576 (09/01/06)
13 DE Reg. 837 (12/01/09) (Prop.)