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Meeting Summary - 01/30/2025 WMWG Meeting

Grid Monitor AI
02/03/2025

<div class="news-image-container"><img src="/storage/docs/2025/02/01-30-2025-WMWG-Hero.png" /></div> <h3><a href="/sharing/?token=df8b3533-010b-4fda-8c2a-7619bf779a5e">▶️</a>1 - Antitrust Admonition - Amanda Frazier</h3> <h3><a href="/sharing/?token=875f5931-d5be-425a-b355-950489fbb771">▶️</a>2 - Questions on Standing Reports - WMWG Participants</h3> <a href="/storage/docs/2025/01/Monthly%20RUC%20Market%20Impacts.pdf">Monthly RUC Market Impacts</a> <a href="/storage/docs/2025/01/Market%20Update.pdf">Market Update</a> <a href="/storage/docs/2025/01/Wind%20Forecast%20Monthly.pdf">Wind Forecast Monthly</a>  <a href="/storage/docs/2025/01/Solar%20Forecast%20Monthly_3fg885c15ib7.pdf">Solar Forecast Monthly</a> <a href="/storage/docs/2025/01/Intra-Hour%20IRR%20Forecast%20Accuracy.pdf">Intra-Hour IRR Forecast Accuracy</a> <a href="/storage/docs/2025/01/GREDP%20Summary.pdf">GREDP Summary</a>  <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Discussion on the posted reports for the Working Methods Working Group (WMWG).</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">A schedule is in place for WMWG meetings this year, causing ERCOT's reports to be about a month behind.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Current meeting is reviewing December reports; next meeting will review January reports.</li> </ul> <h3><a href="/sharing/?token=93b7e6bf-625f-4f6e-961f-8658825ea947">▶️</a>3 - Federal EPA Impacts on ERCOT Generation - Susan Hildebrand</h3> <a href="/storage/docs/2025/01/Vistra%20Federal%20EPA%20Impacts%20on%20ERCOT%20Generation.pdf">Vistra Federal EPA Impacts on ERCOT Generation</a>   <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Susan Hildebrand discussed the state of federal EPA rules on the ERCOT market under the new administration.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Focus areas included personnel, executive orders, and implications on ERCOT.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Personnel changes include the confirmation of Lee Zeldin as the EPA administrator and experiences of other key administrators noted for air, waste, and water.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Important executive orders highlighted involve environmental issues including policies like "unleashing American energy" and removing the US from the Paris Climate Agreement.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Discussion on the social cost of carbon and implications of calculating domestic vs global impact.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">EPA's consideration to revisit the "endangerment finding", which underpins greenhouse gas regulation.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Litigation challenges surrounding various regulations including carbon pollution standards, cross state air pollution rule, mercury air toxic standards, etc.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Potential impacts on ERCOT’s long-term system assessment due to changes in environmental assumptions.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Coal plant retirement dates discussed in light of coal ash residual rules.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Implications of new construction or continued operation of plants affected by executive orders or changes in regulations.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Discussion on litigation options for the administration to potentially remand current regulations back to agencies.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">No imminent changes expected to PTCs and ITCs; current frameworks remain unchanged.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Overall implications include potential easing of burdens for new plant constructions but economic viability of new coal plants remains questionable.</li> </ul> <h3><a href="/sharing/?token=9477ff7b-1722-4534-b7ce-9f75d916f59e">▶️</a>4 - NPRR1256, Settlement for MRA of ESRs – Capacity Verification Refinements - ERCOT</h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Concerns raised in the previous meeting about ERCOT's capacity validation for ESRs were addressed.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Introduction of a reduction factor for standby payments based on the state of charge at the beginning of a block.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Standby payments will be reduced proportionally if the ESR state of charge is not at a sufficient level.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Full state of charge results in no reduction in standby payments.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Adjustments to NPRR language based on previous feedback were appreciated.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Recommendation made for the proposal to move to WMS for a vote.</li> </ul> <h3><a href="/sharing/?token=287c64eb-6047-4b10-bcd0-34b6155b0eff">▶️</a>5 - NPRR1190, HDLO Provision for Increased LSE Costs – Global Limit Concept - Bill Barnes</h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Bill Barnes supports the concept of a settlement cost trigger due to consumer expectations of HDLO override rarity and costs. He plans to file this concept for stakeholder consideration.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">There's consideration to extend the same concept to NPRR1229, with stakeholders expressing mixed readiness for such an extension.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Discussion on the history and impact of events in NPRR1229, including repair cost components and a need for more detailed historical data.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Clarifications on NPRR1229 discussed, highlighting the CMP and VDI mechanics and potential language adjustments.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Magie Shanks from ERCOT added comments about settlement procedures and clarification on the implementation process.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The approach moving forward involves another round of discussion in the next meeting to address unresolved questions and ensure alignment before presenting to WMS.</li> </ul> <h3><a href="/sharing/?token=d4eb4799-746f-4d95-ac1f-c16eeba7e50a">▶️</a>6 - NPRR1229, Real-Time CMP Cost Recovery Payment – Discussion about Inclusion in NPRR1190-Related Global Limit - Eric Goff/Lucas Turner</h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Concerns remain about the expanded concepts in NPRR1190 and NPRR1229, and uncertainty if the compromise resolves these issues.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Eric Goff mentioned the possibility of discontinuing opposition to the NPRRs but noted that consumer concerns may still remain unaddressed.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Bill Barnes proposed a compromise with a $10,000,000 marker for out-of-market payments, requiring ERCOT to report to TAC with reasons and reduction recommendations.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">NPRR1229 addresses payments to generators forced offline due to a CMP process exposing them to an N-0 contingency.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Discussion about whether NPRR1229 should be included in the overall NPRR1190 compromise.</li> </ul> <h3><a href="/sharing/?token=5c16d604-6ff7-4e3e-a230-6a92f7b8b185">▶️</a>7 - CARD/CRRBA – Presentation of Requested Data - Austin Rosel</h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The analysis was not completed in time for the meeting, but they were close to finishing it.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">There were additional data requests and a longer time frame requested previously.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The analysis will cover 7 years due to data retention limitations, not the initially requested 10 years.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Austin Rosel aimed to post the analysis 1-2 weeks in advance of the next meeting for review.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Katie Rich from Vistra announced plans to file their own presentation, aligning with ERCOT's scheduling.</li> </ul> <h3><a href="/sharing/?token=1f391bd5-6f98-4339-a9bd-6aa2104baef7">▶️</a>8 - Other Business - WMWG Participants</h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">No additional topics were added under other business.</li> </ul> <h3><a href="/sharing/?token=914a181f-4684-4b64-a22c-da332b9b60af">▶️</a>9 - Adjourn - Amanda Frazier</h3>