▶️5.1 - NPRR1229, Real-Time Constraint Management Plan Cost Recovery Payment
PRS recommended approval of NPRR1229 with amendments by March 6 WMS comments and further amendments by March 20 ERCOT comments.
Opposition to NPRR1229: Concerns about cost shifting and deviation from previous market rules regarding the direct assignment of congestion costs. Commentary emphasized the perceived inequity and long-term reliability risks.
Support for NPRR1229: Arguments focused on equity and fairness, suggesting partial cost recovery for resources impacted by constraint actions. Supporters highlighted oversight mechanisms and adjustments to the scope of NPRR1229 to address concerns.
Key Comments:
Eric Schubert opposed NPRR1229 over concerns of cost shifting and its effect on the market and reliability.
John Packard argued in favor, citing efforts to narrow its scope and ensure grid reliability. Emphasized the fairness of cost recovery for affected resources.
Blake Holt supported NPRR1229, noting it is aimed to address rare situations and implemented with rigor to minimize costs.
Motion to approve NPRR1229 was made and seconded, aiming for PRS's report and related IA approval.
Voting Results: The motion carried with eight opposing votes and one abstention.
▶️5.2 - NPRR1271, Revision to User Security Administrator and Digital Certificates Opt-out Eligibility
Motion to recommend approval of NPRR1271 as recommended by PRS in the 4/9/25 PRS Report added to the combo ballot.
NPRR1271 was unopposed and has no impact.
On March 12, PRS voted unanimously to recommend approval as submitted.
On April 9, it was unanimously endorsed and forwarded with the March 12 PRS report and January 28 impact analysis.
▶️5.3 - SCR830, Expose Limited API Endpoints Using Machine-to-Machine Authentication
Motion to recommend approval of SCR830 as recommended by PRS in the 4/9/25 PRS Report added to the combo ballot.
On January 15, unanimous vote to recommend approval of SCR830 as submitted.
On March 9, PRS unanimously endorsed and forwarded SCR830 to TAC with a PRS report from February 12.
Endorsement included priorities and rank for the change as seen in the April 8 IA.
Consideration to recommend approval of NPRR1271 and SCR830 as per PRS recommendation.
Unanimous approval of OBDRR054 for TDSP's preproduction verification testing.
Discussion on testing issues with the retail electric provider not found in FlighTrak, despite having an ERCOT letter for production entry.
Initiating revisions on the Texas market test plan led by Texas SET.
Unanimous approval for Texas SET change control to add transaction codes for inadvertent gain and customer decision to the 814_06 loss transaction notification.
Texas SET change control concerning Friday disconnects for nonpayments was approved with one extension, with prior discussions at Texas SET.
Presentation by Lucy Considine on PURA section 39.168, focusing on retail sales reporting.
PWG addressing AV processes for 2025 due to no profile updates in 2024.
Retail Market Training Task Force updates on instructor-led training sessions.
Texas AEP Transaction Group addressing gaps in testing with Texas SET version 5.0 and associated changes.
Texas Data Transport MarkeTrak System managing inadvertent gains, looking into process improvements.
RMS strategic objectives are being reviewed for a vote, with input from RMTTF, Texas SET, and TDTMS.
Next RMS meeting scheduled for May 13, adjusted to reduce conflict with ERCOT Innovation Summit.
Motion to approve the ROS Strategic Objectives as revised by TAC added to the combo ballot.
Revisions were made to the ROS strategic objectives to allow them to remain relevant for multiple years without annual reviews.
A redline version of the strategic objectives requires TAC approval.
Updates on recent ROS actions included the approval of NOGRR275 with revisions and the need for IA approval.
Discussion on load shedding calculation in real-time initiated by Golden Spread and progress on NPRR1238, which is seen as a replacement.
TAC is asked to consider NPRR1238 as resolving the load shedding action item at the ROS level.
Concerns raised about the timing of NPRR1238 approval and its potential conflict with pending legislative actions (Senate Bill 6).
Ongoing monitoring of the legislative session to decide on the timeline for NPRR1238 approval.
Consensus to leave NPRR1238 on the TAC action item list until officially approved, despite completing ROS-related work.
Several participants express concerns about moving forward with NPRR1238 and its implications if Senate Bill 6 is not clarified.
Recommendation made to adjust the wording in the TAC action items to reflect the current status of NPRR1238 and indicate its completion at the ROS level.
Presentation included 10 slides covering a variety of updates, including NPRRs, market readiness, and a new concept of a 'parking-deck” for unresolved issues.
Three NPRRs were approved recently, focusing on AS proxy offers, demand curves, and regulation services, which are being sent to the commission for final approval.
Plans to start market trials on May 5, with most handbooks completed except those for LFC test and day-ahead market.
Ongoing discussions on state of charge NPRR, with goals to finalize protocols for June board meeting.
Efforts to centralize training materials and market trials resources on the RTCBTF website for easy access.
Expecting to add more training videos and resources to aid stakeholders in preparation for market trials.
Resource constraints anticipated as the focus shifts towards implementation of RTC+B, with a plan to leverage other groups like WMS for ongoing parking lot items.
Presentations and training sessions have been ongoing to engage operators and staff about the upcoming changes.
Settlement changes were highlighted, with requests to provide early previews to allow for timely adjustments.
The possibility of sunsetting the task force post-go-live was discussed, with plans to transition ongoing items to other suitable forums.
Discussions around resource limitations were emphasized to ensure a successful implementation phase.
Next Steps
File state of charge NPRR soon for voting in May PRS and TAC meetings.
Address parking lot items in WMS or possibly other suitable forums.
Continue centralizing training and information resources on the RTCBTF website.
Monitor and manage resource allocation carefully during the implementation phase.
Fred Huang from ERCOT presented a high-level overview of 2023 and 2024 outage performance and updates on risk-based assessment.
The discussion focused on accommodating load growth and integrating new flexible demand response to address outage capacity challenges.
There is an emphasis on maintaining a balance between having sufficient generation to meet demand and providing adequate outage windows for maintenance.
A MDRPOC (Maximum Daily Resource Plan Outage Capacity) evaluation showed sufficient windows for outages in 2023, with similar plans for 2024.
Considerations for energy storage contributions were highlighted with planned assessments up to 2025.
The risk-based approach aims to maintain a selected risk level and adjust the MDRPOC accordingly, with regular updates to stakeholders.
Concerns were raised about the ability to manage outages effectively given the sharp increase in demand and shared resource constraints.
Stakeholders expressed the need for re-evaluating the methodology to better accommodate planned outages, encouraging more flexible planning rather than deferring outages.
Plans were discussed for potentially adopting a new methodology after stakeholder feedback and comment periods.
WMWG meeting has been set up for further discussion with ERCOT ready to answer questions and consider suggestions.
Katherine Gross from ERCOT Legal discussed ongoing updates to the bylaws related to technology and segment definitions since September.
A workshop was held in February, with proposed red lines due in March and responses due by April 18.
No responses were received to any of the three versions of red lines submitted.
Katherine suggested no additional workshops are needed unless requested.
Work is ongoing to create a consolidated version of the red lines for discussion at the HRNG committee on June 23.
The lack of opposition strongly indicates the proposed changes might be incorporated.
Katherine plans to provide another update at the May TAC meeting.
Discussion and voting timeline: Discussion in June, vote in September.
Proposed changes include amendments to the industrial consumer segment, definition adjustments for transmission and distribution utilities, and formalizing the splitting of the generator segment.
Ned Bonskowksi inquired about any additional information or questions from the board, with Katherine suggesting attendance at the June discussion as a resource if questions arise.
Waterfall Methodology Discussion on how to read the forecast, annual energy relationships, and changes. Review of methodologies and the outage planning forecast.
Forecast Components Forecast includes base economic forecast, EV forecast, large flexible load, existing crypto sites, and reduction for PV. Additional columns for TDSP provided and ERCOT adjusted figures.
Annual Energy Relationship Expectation of change in the relationship between annual energy and peak demand, with peak demand decreasing relative to energy usage due to demand responses and price influences.
Load Forecast Projections Comparison between last year's forecast and current projections for 2030 and 2031. Significant increase in projected numbers due to factors such as data centers, offshore contracts, hydrogen, and industrial loads.
Forecasting Methodologies Used a 49.8% factor based on non-coincidental peak load observations from existing data centers contrasted with their requests. Includes adjustments for officer letters based on historical performance data, reduced to 55.4% of request.
Outage Planning Introduction of a 90th percentile forecast for outage studies based on interconnection queue data. Adjusts methodology from contract-based to queue-based for the initial 180 days before reverting back.
Transparency and Availability ERCOT aims for transparency, providing detailed forecasts, breakdowns, and historical load comparisons online. Open to queries and stakeholder input.
Historic Legislation Reference Clarification on the origin of the planning requirement, originally from SB1281, and a reminder not to confuse it with recent HB5066.
Methodology & Accuracy Discussion on premises forecast method accuracy, the potential for neural network approaches, and iteration on the 90th percentile forecast for outages.
Stakeholder Inputs:
Oncor's concerns about geographic application of adjustments and call for future consistency.
Inquiries regarding the frequency of forecast revisions and the possibility of more frequent updates.
Additional Use Cases Intentions for the load forecast include studies like CDR, RTP, and resource outage scheduling with added flexibility for planning and adjustments.
▶️14.5 - 2026 Ancillary Services Methodology Plan Discussion
The meeting was primarily a kickoff discussion for the 2026 Ancillary Services (AS) Methodology Plan, aiming to align participants and provide guidance for upcoming months.
The focus is on moving to a probabilistic AS methodology for 2026, evaluating inputs beyond those currently considered.
Two workshops are planned: the first to discuss the shift to a probabilistic methodology, and the second to discuss outputs and gather feedback.
The goal is to achieve board approval by September 23, with PUC approval following.
There is an intention to shift to a dynamic real-time calculation for 2027, which will not impact the 2026 methodology.
The workshops will address concerns related to load forecasts and historical data usage, emphasizing that the long-term load forecast is not a direct input variable.
Discussions about dynamic procurement of ancillary services, relevant for 2027, are touched upon to indicate future directions.
The move to a probabilistic model is recognized as a significant, complex undertaking by ERCOT.
Stakeholders are encouraged to participate actively in workshops and working groups, especially given the changes due to SB3 legislation.
▶️14.6 - Oncor Tredway 138-kV Switch and Expanse to Tredway 138-kV 2nd Circuit Regional Planning Group Project (Possible Vote)
Request for adding a numbering column to action items for better reference in future meetings.
Discussion about rewording an action item related to curtailable load shedding methodologies.
Confusion over the correct terminology regarding load shedding; clarification made to focus on incorporating curtailable load in shedding methodologies rather than shedding itself.
Bob Wittmeyer commented on potential confusion with wording but agreed it's understood internally.
Decision to use Bob's suggested wording for the action item and confirmation of consensus.
Several action items, including charter review and annual settlement trigger, were marked complete or candidates for removal due to completion.
Blake Holt inquired about an action item for AORDC improvements, confirming it's not formally documented yet. Plan to integrate into Subcommittee discussions instead of task force.
Encouragement to continue monthly reviews of action items for ongoing efficiency.
