Charter: Reliability Assessment Committee1

Establishment and Authority

The Reliability Assessment Committee (RAC) was established by the Board of Directors [AD1]in December 2016.

Purpose/Responsibilities

The purpose of the RAC is to provide coordinated reliability assessments[1]of the Western InterconnectionBulk Electric System (BES) over the planning horizon and to provide related advice and recommendationsto the WECC CEO and Board of Directors [AD2](Board).

The RAC shall:

  1. Approve the charters of the RAC Subcommittees.
  2. Create and promote a common understanding and broad view of planning horizon reliability and identify potential planning horizon reliability risks tothe Western Interconnection.
  3. Perform reliability assessmentsincluding power flow, dynamic stability, short circuit, production cost modeling, Bulk Electric System (BES) expansion modeling, voltage stability and other analyses.
  4. Evaluate potential reliability risk mitigation measures, system stability concerns, load and resource balance issues, future resource adequacy,and system utilization concerns (physical and economic) and electricity market practices.
  5. Develop and maintain reliability assessment models and data for use by WECC and Western Interconnection utility planners, planning regions, and stakeholders. Thisincludes those related tofuture infrastructure needs and current and future trends affecting the reliability of the Western Interconnection.[2]
  6. Recommend the development of Reliability Standards and Regional Criteria based on reliability assessments.
  7. Establish and maintain the process to evaluate the reliability impacts of the proposed addition or retirement of facilities, including the timing of such changes.
  8. Develop and approve RAC protocols as necessary.
  9. Coordinate the activities of and resolve any conflicts between its subcommittees.
  10. Review reports and recommendations prepared by RAC subcommittees and others concerning reliability and the adequacy of power supply and providetimely comments and/or recommendations to the WECC CEO and Board.
  11. Oversee the process necessary to create and maintain the Anchor Data Set (ADS).
  12. Provide a forum for discussingpotential reliability issues, including but not limited tothose resulting from efficiency/economics, socio-political considerationsand system resource and transmission adequacy.
  13. Work collaboratively with WECC management in providing input to the WECC strategic plan and in developing the three-year operating plan including consideration of resource needs.
  14. Provide information to the WECC CEO and Board and WECC management on RAC activities and work products.
  15. Perform such other reliability assessments or reliability functions as may be requested by the WECC CEO or Board or the WECC CEO.
  16. Review biennially each task force that reports to the RAC to determine whether that task force is still needed.
  17. Review the subcommittees and work groups that report to the RACevery five years to determine whether the subcommittee or workgroup is necessary and whether charter modifications are needed.

The RAC may delegate certain of its responsibilities to a subcommittee, work group or task force by approving a charter describing its membership, leadership, responsibilities and decision-making processes.

The RAC will not overturn decisions of RAC subcommittees, except in instances where (i) there are inconsistencies or disagreements between differentRAC subcommittees, or (ii) a decision of RAC subcommittee is inconsistent with WECC’s three-year operating plan or direction provided by the WECC CEO or Board or CEO.

The[AD3] WECC CEO will be accountable for all final RAC products intended for public distribution.

Committee Composition and Governance

  1. Membership
  1. RAC membership consists of those individuals designated by each WECC MemberRepresentative as a member of the RAC.
  2. WECC Member Representatives may designate,by written notice to the chair (or the chair’s designee), one individual to vote on behalf of that WECC Member and one individual to serve as an alternate.
  3. Leadership
  1. The RAC Governing Body shall consist of the RAC chair and the chair of each RAC subcommittee.All RAC Governing Body members shall be WECC Members, shall serve staggered terms of two years, are eligible for reelection and shall not serve in more than one Governing Body role.
  1. The RAC Governing Body will establish a nominating committee annually. The nominating committee shall be selected from among WECCMembers and select its own chair from among its members. The nominating committee will request and review nominations of qualified candidates, who must be WECC Members, to fill expiring RAC chair and subcommittee chair positions. The nominating committee will make a recommendation for each expiring position. The RAC and each subcommittee will then select their respective chairs by consensus or by a vote if consensus is not possible. In case of a tie vote, the nominating committee chair will cast the deciding vote.
  2. The RAC vice chair will be a WECC Member selected from among the subcommittee chairs through self-nomination and by consensus or a vote of the RAC to serve a two-year term staggered with the term of the chair.
  3. The RAC chair shall manage the RACand its meetings.
  4. The RAC vice chair shall perform the duties of the chair in the chair’s absence or in the event of a vacancy in the office of chair.
  5. RAC Governing Body members shall assist with reports to the WECC CEO and Board, and RAC meeting facilitation,.
  6. RAC Governing Body members shall develop work plans, and actionother recommendations for RAC approval.
  7. Meetings
  1. The RAC shall determine the frequency of its meetings, provided it shall meet at least three times per year. Meetings will be held in accordance with the WECC Meeting Policy.
  1. The RAC shall determine the procedures for its meetings, subject to the requirements of this charter.
  2. Any stakeholder may request to receive notifications and participate in meetings.
  3. All decisions of the RAC shall be made during noticed meetings. A quorum for decisions shall be a simple majority of Governing Body members and at least one voting representativeper Member class from a majority of WECC Member classes.
  4. The RAC shall strive to make all decisions by consensus (the decision is one that all present can agree to accept, even if their preference would be for a different decision). If consensus on a decision is not possible, the decision shall be made by RAC votewith votes allocated as follows:
  5. The RAC chair and each subcommittee chair shall each have one vote. The RAC chair and subcommittee chairs may notvote as a representative of an entity described in paragraph 2 below, but their organizations may still have another individual as a Member class voting representative.
  6. Each WECC Member Class shall have one vote. Each class vote shall be determined by the majority vote of appointed WECC Member voting representatives(or the appointed Alternate in the absence of the primary)from that classattending the meeting.
  7. Voting may occur by any means appropriate (voice, placard, roll call, electronic, etc.), at the discretion of the chair.
  8. RAC meetings may be in person or by conference call, as determined by the chair.
  9. The chair (or designee) shall provide notice of the time and place of all meetings to each voting representative and shall post notice of all meetings on the WECC website, no later than ten (10) calendar days prior to each meeting. In person meetings should be noticed at least thirty (30) days in advance. An agenda, including identification of the items for which action may be taken, shall be provided no later than ten (10) calendar days prior to the meeting.
  10. Any stakeholderwho wishes to receive notice of RAC meetings may do so by notifying the chair (or designee) in writing. Upon receiving such a notice, the RAC chair (or the chair’sdesignee) shall provide a copy of the notice and agenda of future meetings to that person at the time the notice and agenda are provided to voting representatives and posted on the WECC website.
  11. The chair shall assign a WECC designee to prepare minutes of RAC meetings for the committee’s approval and to perform other duties assigned by the RAC chair.

Reporting

The RAC shall advise the Board and WECC Management on its activities and any recommendations.[AD4]

Review and Changes to the Charter

The RAC shall review this charter biennially and recommend any changes to the Board.

Approved by the WECC RAC: ______

Approved by the WECC Board of Directors: ______

Western Electricity Coordinating Council

[1] Reliability Assessment means any technical assessment, consistent with the NERC Rules of Procedure and NERC Delegation Agreement, that provides insight into potential future reliability risks and the ability to maintain uninterrupted electric service to customers in the Western Interconnection associated with various technical, economic, or policy‐related assumptions.

[2]Compliance with NERC Reliability Standards is the responsibility of the registered entities. WECC does not guarantee that any information provided will meet the requirements of any NERC Reliability Standard.

[AD1]As directed by the Board: Further resolved, that the RAC will work with WECC legal staff to ensure that the RAC Charter incorporates the intent of the language in the RAC Task Force Report.

[AD2]The intent of this addition is to ensure that advice and recommendations are provided to the CEO and, when appropriate, the Board.

[AD3]Specific incorporation of the intended language in the RAC Task Force Report.

The intent of this addition is ensuring that the CEO is accountable for the final RAC work products to maintain the WECC integrity and brand consistent with the 2016 Section 4.9 Review - Responsibility and Accountability Matrix.

[AD4]The intent of this deletion is to eliminate any discussion of a reporting relationship. As stated above, the RAC, a volunteer member committee, will advise and make recommends to the CEO and Board, and the CEO will be accountable to maintain integrity of products.