Meeting Summary – 11/12/2024 RPG Meeting

1 – Antitrust Admonition

2 – Miscellaneous Updates – ERCOT

• No updates announced.

3 – EIR Status Update – Wilmer 345/138-kV Switch Project – ERCOT – Ying Li

EIR – Oncor – Wilmer 345138-kV Switch Project – Status Update – RPG Nov2024

• The Wilmer 345/138-kV Switch Project is a Tier 1 project with an estimated cost of $158 million and requires a CCN, expected in service by May 2026.
• The project aims to address summer overloads in the Dallas area, specifically accommodating 756 MW of recently approved contracted large load at Wilmer substation.
• Multiple thermal overloads and bus low voltages were observed, prompting the evaluation of four options. Options 1 and 4 resolved all reliability conflicts.
• Option 1, proposed by Oncor, involves expanding the Wilmer substation and adding transformers, circuit lines, and upgrading the existing infrastructure, while Option 4 involves adding a new circuit line.
• Option 2  is to loop the existing Watermill to Tri Corner 345-kV North Circuit into Wilmer. Option 3 is to loop the Watermill to West Levee 345-kV line into Wilmer.
• Option 1 provides 831 MW of incremental load serving capability, 200 MW more than Option 4, and has a lower estimated cost and less required CCN mileage.
• Option 1 selected as the ERCOT preferred option.
• Additional analysis, including congestion and sensitivity studies, will continue, with a final recommendation expected in December.
• No additional questions arose during the meeting beyond those concerning integration with existing projects and timing for the final recommendation.

4 – EIR Status Update – Venus Switch to Sam Switch 345-kV Line Project – ERCOT – Sarah Gunasekera

EIR ONCOR Venus Switch to Sam Switch Project NOV

• Oncor submitted a tier one project to address post contingency thermal overloads on the Venus switch to Sam Switch double circuit 345-kV line with an estimated cost of $118.9 million and a completion date of May 2026, and will not require a CCN.
• Updates on this project were provided in August, September, and October of 2023.
• The study area includes Venus switch to Sam switch and assesses approximately 1,500 MW of load in North and North Central zones.
• Preliminary reliability assessments detected 4-5 thermal overloads in the study area.
• Three options are considered: Option 1 and 2 involve rebuilding existing lines, while Option 3 involves building a new line and upgrading existing infrastructure. Option 2 offers the highest long-term load serving capability.
• Generation addition and load scaling sensitivity analyses are planned for the preferred option. As well as a subsynchronous resonance assessment and a congestion analysis. 
• Final recommendation for the project will be presented at the December RPG meeting.
• Discussion included NERC meeting background noise issues, maintenance evaluations, and considerations for potential future load growth beyond the 1,500 MW initially projected.
• Concerns were raised regarding building new lines versus rebuilding existing ones and their impact during construction.
• No additional generation beyond 6.9(1) was considered for the analysis.

5 – EIR Status Update – Forney 345/138-kV Switch Rebuild Project – ERCOT – Abishek Penti

EIR – Oncor – Forney 345_138-kV Switch Rebuild Project November RPG

• Overview of the Forney Switch Rebuild Project submitted by Oncor for RPG review in July 2024.
• Tier 1 project with an estimated cost of $103.5 million  that will not require a CCN, estimated in service by December 1, 2025.
• The purpose of the project is to address post contingency thermal overloads, replace aged infrastructure, improve operational flexibility and reliability in the Dallas and Fort Worth region.
• ERCOT presented the study scope during the September RPG meeting; project under ERCOT independent review.
• Initial data: Oncor observed thermal overloads post contingency, proposing rebuild with new breakers, auto transformer, and capacitor banks.
• ERCOT’s preliminary reliability assessment identified no voltage or unsolved power flow violations, but one thermal violation for the X-1+N-1 contingency category.
• ERCOT analyzed four options; Options 1, 2, and 3 showed no violations, while Option 4 showed one thermal violation in the X-1+N-1 contingency scenario.
• Planned maintenance outage evaluation showed no violations for all options.
• Next steps: Continued evaluation, long term load serving assessment, congestion analysis, and feasibility assessment.
• Coordination with related projects, like Wilmer, taken into account in assessments.

6 – EIR Status Update – Tredway 138-kV Switch and Expanse to Tredway 138-kV 2nd Circuit Project

• The EIR status update for the Tredway 138-kV switch will not be presented.

7 – Baytown Area Load Addition Project Overview – CNP

CNP Baytown Area Load Addition project 2024-11-12

• A request was submitted to serve a 500 MVA load at 0.095 power factor in Baytown, Texas, for a blue hydrogen production plant by January 2028.
• A 138-kV customer substation is proposed, with three primary options being studied for integrating into the existing grid.
• Option one was deemed not feasible due to potential loading and voltage issues during maintenance outages.
• Option two and three focused on resolving thermal and voltage concerns, with option three recommended as the most cost-effective and reliable solution.
• Option three involves looping existing circuits into the new substation, upgrading equipment to handle required ratings, and installing a 100 MW capacitor at Cedar Bayou.
• The project has an estimated cost of over $141 million, including temporary construction to minimize outages for interconnection.
• Option three provides greater reliability and operational flexibility with no consequential load loss during maintenance outages.
• It’s a Tier 1 project not requiring a certificate of convenience and necessity, and the RPG review has been completed.
• The project is expected to be completed by January 2028.

8 – ERCOT Independent Review Scope Baytown Area Load Addition Project – ERCOT

EIR – CNP – Baytown Area Load Addition RPG Project SCOPE November RPG Final

• Introduction of the project scope for ERCOT independent review of the Baytown area load addition by CenterPoint.
• CenterPoint submitted the Baytown Area Load Addition project for review in September 2024. It is a Tier 1 project with an estimated cost of $142 million, expected to be in service by January 2028, addressing thermal and voltage violations.
• Overview of violations from the interconnection, including thermal and voltage violations at multiple substations in the surrounding area.
• The proposed upgrades’ components were briefly summarized, aligning with previous details shared by CenterPoint.
• The study’s scope, including assumptions for the base case, focused on the Harris and Chambers counties using data from the 2023 RTP 2028 Summer Peak case.
• Generation assumptions involve adding units expected online before January 2028, while retired units will be reviewed and excluded if necessary.
• Transmission assumptions include evaluating projects with in-service dates before 2028, removing placeholder projects from the base case.
• Load assumptions are consistent with the 2023 RTP east coast weather zones, with adjustments for confirmed new loads by CenterPoint.
• Evaluation criteria involve applying NERC TPL-001-1.5 and ERCOT planning criteria, analyzing normal contingencies, and monitoring 60kV and above buses and transmission lines.
• Study procedure includes need analysis, alternative projects evaluation, and congestion analysis—aiming for reliability needs and NERC/ERCOT compliance.
• Deliverables and timeline target a final recommendation by Q1 of 2025, with updates in future meetings.
• No questions or comments were made after the presentation; the meeting proceeded to the next agenda item.

9 – ERCOT Extra-High Voltage Infrastructure Update – ERCOT – Jameson Hessler

ERCOT_EHV_Infrastructure_Initiative_Update_November_2024

• Introduction of ERCOT’s Extra-High Voltage (EHV) initiative update by Jameson Hessler.
• Brief recap of the discussions since June, including Phase one and Phase two plans for EHV based on load levels.
• Core plan to address the 2030 case scenario for RTP needs is being focused on.
• Goal is to aid the Commission’s decision on Permian Basin voltage level decision due in spring next year.
• The 765-kV study is performed using this year’s RTP case with the intention to meet reliability needs.
• Comparisons are made between 765-kV and 345-kV plans in terms of reliability and cost-effectiveness.
• Current progress shows EHV analysis closely trailing standard RTP analysis.
• Discussion on updates to core plan milestone: No change in Permian Basin 765-kV option, slight adjustments due to routing constraints.
• Various line and transformer comparisons presented showing reduced mileage and upgrades with the core plan in place.
• Plan includes eight existing substations in Permian and four new added in the eastern portion.
• Discussion on reactors and transformer details for different substations to handle charging.
• Graphical representation and detail on line upgrades and new right of way lines possibilities.
• Several questions from attendees about future routing, consideration of existing stations, the inclusion of large load from new developments, and methodology for transformer numbers.
• Expectation to complete X-1+N-1 and N-1-1 analyses by December for complete comparison.
• Future steps include completing detailed analyses and addressing the routing post-analysis phase.

Questions and Answers:

• Are routes being selected with future injection points in mind?
  Answer: At this stage, routes are point-to-point without detailed routing discussions. Adjustments will be considered later upon receiving specific information.
• Question: Are five 345-kV import paths for Permian included in your analysis?
  Answer: Yes, the approved import paths are included in the 345-kV analysis for the 2030 case.
• Question: Reason for removing the King’s substation from the core plan?
  Answer: Analysis did not justify the need for a second station in Houston considering the absence of a line from Houston to DFW or Bell.
• Question: On 765 to 345-kV transformers, how was the need for three transformers decided?
  Answer: Decision based on X-1, N-1-1, and part of other factors, indicating reliability needs.
• Question: Timeline related to the 765-kV need and construction?
  Answer: Goal is to support 2030 RTP loads aligning with future Permian study needs and to proceed with building as soon as possible.
• Question: Consideration for future phases of 765-kV projects?
  Answer: Current focus on short-term needs with possible consideration of future studies examining new economic criteria.
• Question: Inclusion of recent large load forecasts, specifically from data centers?
  Answer: Included large load levels in the RTP analysis; not revised after finalization of the current RTP.
• Question: Consideration for alternative endpoints based on potential violations?
  Answer: Flexibility for expanding plans with new endpoints as need arises ensuring proper future routing.
• Question: Interpretation of differences in mileage in presented charts?
  Answer: Clarified separate visualization aids comparison of needs between different plans, recognizing need for clearer presentation format.

10 – Adjourn – ERCOT

• The meeting adjourned with a thank you to participants.