IDEAS: Reporting needs for Fundamental / POV analysis / Distribution Awareness

Issue Identified:

DREAM must determine what information ERCOT and ERCOT Market Participants need in terms of transparent and up-to-date information on new, existing, and retiring distributed resources by fuel type. Some of this information may be currently available. Similarly, if ERCOT has a reliability need for aggregate DER populations within the region, then DREAM must identify what is currently available, and what is missing from existing reports.

Issue Development:

To gain sufficient aggregate data, ERCOT must initiate resource tracking. This can be achieved by any or several of the options listed below:

  1. Require the interconnecting DSP to notify ERCOT of new interconnecting distributed energy resources by MW quantity and fuel source. Updates could occur no less than twice per year. (Perhaps aligned with the CDR)Per 25.211(n) the PUCT requires this report annually from all TDSPs ref Control No. 44023
  2. Require ERCOT to contact any resource that is paid load-zone for energy delivered to the grid such that the resource may identify themselves by MW quantity. For ERCOT Registered Resources this would be captured in the short form RARF
  3. Reduce the ERCOT resource registration threshold to a lower MW quantity. Interconnecting resources would then have the obligation to register with ERCOT. This may be a more streamlined process than the existing resource registration process, or perhaps represent a new type of registration. Under current rules the DG owner would also need to register as a Resource Entity and designate a QSE.

To raise “Distribution Awareness,” for a reliability purposes, ERCOT would need to know the transmission location relevant to the DER, and its availability / output. This could be achieved by any or all of the following options:

  1. Develop a “COP” like document for distributed energy resources. Each resource would populate, perhaps on a monthly basis, theirFor registered DG ERCOT has most of this information via the short form RARF. It may need to be expanded slightly to include min up/down times or other pertinent information
  2. Net-injectable capacity to the grid
  3. Fuel source
  4. Min up/down time
  5. Other relevant resource constraints
  6. Develop a real-time telemetry feed from the resource to ERCOT. This could be a metering arrangement similar to an ERCOT polled settlement meter. Aggregated DER by fuel source could be telemetered to ERCOT. Participation in this program may make a DER eligible for an ORDC payment. Reporting could be by Load Zone, TDSP, or Circuit.
  7. Identify circuits with significant DER participation and isolate them, perhaps on a per-meter basis, from Load Shed events.

Detailed Explanation:

The ERCOT market operates with a high-level of transparency, reporting new, retiring, or re-energizing resources and seasonal anticipated load. These resources are identified through a comprehensive registration process. Distributed energy resources have limited interconnection procedures, and in aggregate, present a transparency issue. Those who wish to engage the ERCOT market with strategies based upon market fundamentals are missing DERs from their models. As DERs continue to grow in aggregate, market participants will need more insight into DERs and their respective resource economics.

ERCOT would benefit from increased transparency into DERs and their respective connections between the transmission and distribution grid. “Distribution Awareness” would enable ERCOT to have visibility into this class of resources and their potential availability in the event of an emergency or capacity shortage.. The short form RARF lists the substation/feeder codes DERs are directly tied to. It is not known if ERCOT uses this info.

Analysis:

[To be discussed in the September Meeting]

This section should focus on translating your qualitative ideas from above into quantitative impacts. This may include rough but measurable estimates of cost, benefit, impact, externalities, improvement to market efficiency, increased competition, liquidity, etc. Any and all quantitative analysis should be included in this section.

Solve/Solution: