Tom Miller Study Requests:2016 TEPPC Study Program Study Request Form
Overview
Contact Information
First Name: Tom Last Name:Miller
Affiliation: Pacific Gas and Electric Company Email:
Phone: (415) 973-2070 Submit Date:
Questions
1. Requested Study Year?
- 10-Year (2026) hourly production cost study
2. What is the key question you would like the study to answer?
Investigate Transmission-Distribution system interface: with the large penetration of distributed energy resources (DER), what is the impact of constrained dispatch and/or curtailment of DER, particularly storage, on operations of the bulk transmission grid?
3. Summary of the study’s key load, resource, transmission, and/or policy assumptions.
Largepenetration ofBehind-the-meter-Solar Photo Voltaic (BTM-PV) and renewables plus significant buildout ofbattery-storage (both on the distribution and transmission systems) and electric vehicle demand in support of California SB350 and EPA Clean Power Plan.
How do storage and dispatchable electric vehicle demand contribute to meet system operation requirements (with and without: full contribution or zero contribution).
Note: If the 10-year study request links to the 20 year, please identify basis for the linkage between the expected 10 year study results and inputs into the 20 year study case.
4. How will this study provide information of broad value to stakeholders in the Western Interconnection, e.g. customers, regulators, Transmission Providers?
This study help inform all stakeholders on the planning challenges driven by GHG policy and operational challenges across the transmission-distribution inter-face.
5. Can you offer expertise or information to WECC to assist in the development of this study case? Describe the information or support you will be able to provide, if any.
Yes, PG&E can provide insights into DER development in CA and help develop assumptions
6. Do you know of other stakeholders interested in the issues on which this request is based? If so, please provide their contact information.
DER development is advancing across the Western Inter-connect, particularly in California. SB35 and EP’s CPP are expected to significantly change the resource mix across the Western Inter-connect impact resource dispatch, loads and transmission flows, which impact many TEPPC stakeholder’s. Tom Carr (WEIB)
7. Is the requested study necessary to meet a member Transmission Provider's compliance with its Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT), Attachment K?
No
Contact Information
First Name: Tom Last Name:Miller
Affiliation: Pacific Gas and Electric Company Email:
Phone: (415_ 973-2070 Submit Date:
Questions
1. Requested Study Year?
We recommend studying planning assumptions for levels expected in year 2030. 2030 is the target year for meeting goals of greenhouse gas regulations such as EPA’s Clean Power Plan and California’s 50% renewables portfolio standards (RPS) goals. These GHG regulations, along with changing resource economics, are expected to drive changes in WECC generation resource mix. 2030 would be an appropriate year to study as resource mix changes to meet 2030 goals would have been realized.
- 10-Year (2026) hourly production cost study
2. What is the key question you would like the study to answer?
We recommend studying steady state and dynamic stability performance (e.g. frequency response, voltage stability, reactive margin assessment) for CAISO and WECC region to inform stakeholders on potential reliability issues and mitigations.
In California and in the WECC generation with synchronous rotating mass is widely expected to decline. This is a result of changing resource economics and US and California clean energy policy. In terms of resource economics, the unit cost of inverter-based generation (solar PV) has declined substantially. The Clean Power Plan will accelerate the decline in WECC coal generation and the increase in renewable generation, including solar PV generation. California clean energy policy (RPS 50% plus state GHG reduction goals) will result in a further decline in rotating mass generation and an increase in inverter-based generation.
In events of electrical disturbances, the introduction of significant inverter-based generation may result in an unstable electrical system with reduced capability to provide frequency response and reduced system capability to quickly respond to such disturbances.
3. Summary of the study’s key load, resource, transmission, and/or policy assumptions.
Note: If the 10-year study request links to the 20 year, please identify basis for the linkage between the expected 10 year study results and inputs into the 20 year study case.
4. How will this study provide information of broad value to stakeholders in the Western Interconnection, e.g. customers, regulators, Transmission Providers?
This study will inform stakeholders across the WECC on potential reliability impacts of CA SB350 and EPA CPP goals
5. Can you offer expertise or information to WECC to assist in the development of this study case? Describe the information or support you will be able to provide, if any.
Yes, PG&E can support development of assumptions and provide references.
6. Do you know of other stakeholders interested in the issues on which this request is based? If so, please provide their contact information.
Tom Carr (WEIB),which you have contact information for.
7. Is the requested study necessary to meet a member Transmission Provider's compliance with its Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT), Attachment K?
No
Contact Information
First Name: Tom Last Name:Miller
Affiliation: Pacific Gas and Electric Company Email:
Phone: (415) 973-2070 Submit Date:
Questions
1. Requested Study Year?
- 10-Year (2026) hourly production cost study
- 20-Year (2036) capital expansion study
2. What is the key question you would like the study to answer?
How would a doubling of energy efficiency in California, per SB 350 (2015), impact WECC dispatch and power flows?
3. Summary of the study’s key load, resource, transmission, and/or policy assumptions.
Note: If the 10-year study request links to the 20 year, please identify basis for the linkage between the expected 10 year study results and inputs into the 20 year study case.
Key policy assumption is that California follows on the trajectory indicated by SB 350, specifically 50% RPS and doubling of energy efficiency both by 2030.
4. How will this study provide information of broad value to stakeholders in the Western Interconnection, e.g. customers, regulators, Transmission Providers?
Specific value lies in incorporating the energy efficiency component of SB 350, which has not been included in most WECC-wide studies, including studies that do include 50% RPS in California.
5. Can you offer expertise or information to WECC to assist in the development of this study case? Describe the information or support you will be able to provide, if any.
Suggest working with California Energy Commission and/or Lawrence Berkeley National Lab to characterize attributes of increased energy efficiency. PG&E can support development of assumptions and references.
6. Do you know of other stakeholders interested in the issues on which this request is based? If so, please provide their contact information.
Most likely California stakeholders including IOUs, CEC and CPUC
7. Is the requested study necessary to meet a member Transmission Provider's compliance with its Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT), Attachment K?
No
Contact Information
First Name: Jameson Last Name: Thornton
Affiliation: PG&E Email:
Phone: 415-973-7057 Submit Date: 2/1/2016
Questions
1. Requested Study Year?
- 10-Year (2026) hourly production cost study
- 20-Year (2036) capital expansion study
2. What is the key question you would like the study to answer?
Depending on renewable generation levels, how will storage behavior change (charge during day, or charge at night, or other times based on market).
3. Summary of the study’s key load, resource, transmission, and/or policy assumptions.
50% renewables with increase from 1300MW to 2600 MW for California. Desirable higher RPS and Storage development for rest of WECC (e.g. Compressed Air Storage Project at Inter-Mountain) .
Note: If the 10-year study request links to the 20 year, please identify basis for the linkage between the expected 10 year study results and inputs into the 20 year study case.
4. How will this study provide information of broad value to stakeholders in the Western Interconnection, e.g. customers, regulators, Transmission Providers?
Provide insight into the behavior of storage which may affect generation needs and path schedules in WECC.
5. Can you offer expertise or information to WECC to assist in the development of this study case? Describe the information or support you will be able to provide, if any.
Suggest using TAS-Studies Working Group to help develop assumptions
6. Do you know of other stakeholders interested in the issues on which this request is based? If so, please provide their contact information.
Carl Zichella (NRDC) who is a member of the Scenario Planning Group has expressed high interest in storage technology
7. Is the requested study necessary to meet a member Transmission Provider's compliance with its Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT), Attachment K?
No
2016 TEPPC Study Program Study Request Form
Overview
Please fill out this form as completely as possible. WECC and TEPPC will use the information provided to develop and prioritize the 2016 Study Program. Study requests submitted for past Study Programs will be reviewed as well to avoid duplicative requests. If you have any questions about this study request form, please feel free to contact Vijay Satyal at .
Contact Information
First Name: Tom Last Name:Miller
Affiliation:Pacific Gas & Electric Company Email:
Phone: Submit Date:
Questions
1. Requested Study Year?
- 10-Year (2026) hourly production cost study
- 20-Year (2036) capital expansion study
2. What is the key question you would like the study to answer?
Sensitivities off the 2026 Common Case on key variables, or combination of key variable, including load (High/Low), Natural Gas prices (High,Low), CO2 Costs, Hydro Conditions (High, Low), similar to 2014 Study Program and proposed to be part of 10-year Common Case Package not yet approved by TAS. Example of potential combined variables would be low NG price and high CO2 price, which would provide insight into how the change in dispatch costs causes switching of coal-fired units to NG-fired units.
3. Summary of the study’s key load, resource, transmission, and/or policy assumptions.
Note: If the 10-year study request links to the 20 year, please identify basis for the linkage between the expected 10 year study results and inputs into the 20 year study case.
2026 Common Case plus:
- High and Low NG Prices (potential Stress Prices). Range developed by DWG
- High and Low CO2 Prices. Range developed by DWG
- Wet Hydro WECC-wide (year 2011) and Dry Hydro (2015, 2001)
- High and Low Loads (+/- 10%)
4. How will this study provide information of broad value to stakeholders in the Western Interconnection, e.g. customers, regulators, Transmission Providers?
Impacts of each key variable, or combination of key variables, on system dispatch, transmission flows and GHG emissions
5. Can you offer expertise or information to WECC to assist in the development of this study case? Describe the information or support you will be able to provide, if any.
Yes. Final defining of variables will be managed through the TAS working groups. PG&E can help facilitate the discussions.
6. Do you know of other stakeholders interested in the issues on which this request is based? If so, please provide their contact information.
There has been strong support for understanding impacts of these key variables across several planning study cycles. Suggest contacting Xiaobo Wang (CAISO), Angela Tanghetti (CEC), and Tom Carr (WIEB).
7. Is the requested study necessary to meet a member Transmission Provider's compliance with its Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT), Attachment K?
No
Western Electricity Coordinating Council; 155 North 400 West, Suite 200; Salt Lake City, Utah 84103-1114
Contact Information
First Name: Tom Last Name: Miller
Affiliation: Pacific Gas and Electric Company Email:
Phone: (415) 973-2070 Submit Date:
Questions
1. Requested Study Year?
- 10-Year (2026) hourly production cost study – use this
- 20-Year (2036) capital expansion study
2. What is the key question you would like the study to answer?
Determine the south-to-north flow impacts to major transmission paths (66, 15, and 26) from increased renewable penetration levels in Southern California and the Southwest.
3. Summary of the study’s key load, resource, transmission, and/or policy assumptions.
Model increased renewables in Southern California (from a 50% California RPS) with increased renewables in the Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, Southern Nevada) and dry hydrogenation conditions in Northern California and the Northwest
Recommend “copper-sheet” approach:
- Step-1: perform the Portfolio Case, defined by a set of load and/or resource assumptions that have been altered as compared to the 2026 Common Case.
- Step-2: perform an Expansion Case, defined as an extension of a portfolio case and consists of adding incremental transmission to a portfolio case in order to investigate the effect the transmission expansion option may have on reducing network congestion.
Note: If the 10-year study request links to the 20 year, please identify basis for the linkage between the expected 10 year study results and inputs into the 20 year study case.
4. How will this study provide information of broad value to stakeholders in the Western Interconnection, e.g. customers, regulators, Transmission Providers?
The study results will alert transmission developers and regulators of the possible need for transmission upgrades to support higher renewable penetration levels and will provide a basis for the analysis of transmission upgrade alternatives to support these higher renewable levels.
5. Can you offer expertise or information to WECC to assist in the development of this study case? Describe the information or support you will be able to provide, if any.
PG&E can support development of assumptions and recommend using Studies Work Group review process
6. Do you know of other stakeholders interested in the issues on which this request is based? If so, please provide their contact information.
7. Is the requested study necessary to meet a member Transmission Provider's compliance with its Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT), Attachment K?
No