TEPPC Data Sharing Team
Concerns with Current WECC Data Sharing Policy
July 16, 2015
Background
Early in 2015, TEPPC formed a task force to review WECC’s data sharing policy based on concerns that
the current policy may restrict the ability of TEPPC and its subcommittees’ and work groups’ abilities to
complete important planning work. The task force considered the following primary questions:



What data does TEPPC and its stakeholders need that is currently unavailable or restricted as a
result of the WECC Information Sharing Policy and/or the Peak Reliability UNDA?
What will happen if data identified above is not obtained and/or not available for public
posting? Are there workarounds that could be implemented if this data is not available?
How would releasing and/or using the protected data be harmful?
Stakeholder needs for data to support TEPPC studies and their own studies are
changing commensurate with the evolution of the tools and models. In general, TEPPC’s analytic
platform is becoming much more data intensive across increasingly diverse time frames.
This report presents the results of the task force’s discussions.
WESTERN ELECTRICITY COORDINATING COUNCIL
155 North 400 West, Suite 200
Salt Lake City, Utah 84103-1114
Data Sharing Team Preliminary Report
2
1. Is there data that TEPPC and its stakeholders need that is currently unavailable or restricted as a result of
the WECC Information Sharing Policy and/or the Peak Reliability UNDA?
Data Needed
Time
Granularity Period
Needed
Needed
Comments
Access Limited by
WECC Policy,
Peak UNDA or
Specific Reliability Challenge(s)
Other
Created By Current Policy
1. TEPPC
Planning Data
1.1. Projected
peak
demand
(years 410)
Monthly,
by TEPPC
Load Area
(BAA)
Ten-year
forecast,
by year
This is public information
1.2. Projected
energy
forecasts
(years 410)
Monthly,
by TEPPC
Load Area
(BAA)
Ten-year
forecast,
by year
This is public information
1.3. Scheduled
peak hour
outages
(years 410)
Monthly,
by TEPPC
Load Area
(BAA)
Ten-year
forecast,
by year
This is public information
WESTERN ELECTRICITY COORDINATING COUNCIL
155 North 400 West, Suite 200
Salt Lake City, Utah 84103-1114
Data Sharing Team Preliminary Report
3
Time
Granularity Period
Needed
Needed
Data Needed
Access Limited by
WECC Policy,
Peak UNDA or
Specific Reliability Challenge(s)
Other
Created By Current Policy
Comments
1.4. Actual
year peak
outages
Monthly,
by TEPPC
Load Area
(BAA)
Ten-year
forecast,
by year
This is public information
1.5. Projected
increment
al
resources
(years 410)
Mapped to
bus level
Ten-year
forecast,
by year
This is public information
1.6. Plant
retiremen
t
informati
on
Mapped to
bus level
Ten-year
forecast,
by year
This is public information
2. Confidential
Information
under Section
1500 of the
NERC Rules of
Procedure or
the WECC
Confidentiality
Policy
W
E S T E R N
E
L E C T R I C I T Y
C
O O R D I N A T I N G
C
O U N C I L
Data Sharing Team Preliminary Report
4
Time
Granularity Period
Needed
Needed
Data Needed
Access Limited by
WECC Policy,
Peak UNDA or
Specific Reliability Challenge(s)
Other
Created By Current Policy
Comments
2.1. Projected
peak
demand
(years 1-3)
Monthly,
by TEPPC
Load Area
(BAA)
Years 1-3
Whoever needs the data
can get it, but cannot
share it publicly unless it is
aggregated or averaged.
This limitation is
inconsistent with TEPPC’s
policy of sharing all
analyses and data
transparently and publicly.
2.2. Projected
energy
forecasts
(years 1-3)
Monthly,
by TEPPC
Load Area
(BAA)
Years 1-3
Whoever needs the data
can get it, but cannot
share it publicly unless it is
aggregated or averaged.
This limitation is
inconsistent with TEPPC’s
policy of sharing all
analyses and data
transparently and publicly.
2.3. Scheduled
peak hour
outages
(years 1-3)
Monthly,
by TEPPC
Load Area
(BAA)
Years 1-3
Whoever needs the data
can get it, but cannot
share it publicly unless it is
aggregated or averaged.
This limitation is
inconsistent with TEPPC’s
policy of sharing all
W
E S T E R N
E
L E C T R I C I T Y
C
O O R D I N A T I N G
C
O U N C I L
Data Sharing Team Preliminary Report
5
Time
Granularity Period
Needed
Needed
Data Needed
Access Limited by
WECC Policy,
Peak UNDA or
Specific Reliability Challenge(s)
Other
Created By Current Policy
Comments
analyses and data
transparently and publicly.
2.4. Project
increment
al
resources
(years 1-3)
Monthly,
by TEPPC
Load Area
(BAA)
Years 1-3
3. Peak
Reliability
UNDA covered
Data
3.1. Actual
line,
transform
er, and
path flow
and limit
data
W
Hourly
E S T E R N
Historic,
for past
10 years
E
Whoever needs the data
can get it, but cannot
share it publicly unless it is
aggregated or averaged.
This limitation is
inconsistent with TEPPC’s
policy of sharing all
analyses and data
transparently and publicly.
This data may not be confidential.
It is shared today and the data
policy did not change that. We
may need to check with Chris
Albrecht.
This information may only
be shared with signatories
of the UNDA in
accordance with the terms
therein.
Is this data not shared because of
the WECC data sharing policy or
because of the Peak UNDA? If it is
the UNDA, is it a WECC or a Peak
issue?
TEPPC relies on Peak
Energy historical path/line
data to gain an
understanding of the
historical use of the
transmission system. This
information is important
to TEPPC’s transmission
L E C T R I C I T Y
C
O O R D I N A T I N G
C
O U N C I L
Data Sharing Team Preliminary Report
6
Time
Granularity Period
Needed
Needed
Data Needed
Access Limited by
WECC Policy,
Peak UNDA or
Specific Reliability Challenge(s)
Other
Created By Current Policy
Comments
expansion planning effort
as it quantifies historical
transmission path usage –
both of which are helpful
in a robust planning
process. This information
is also useful for verifying
model representation for
power flow and
production costing
analysis.
3.2. Scheduled
line,
transform
er, and
path flow
and limit
data
Hourly
Historic,
for past
10 years
Same as 3.1
3.3. Actual
generatio
n data
Hourly, by
unit
Historic,
for past
10 years
TEPPC relies on historical
hydro generation hourly
data as input in all three
hydro modeling
algorithms: about 35% of
total hydro plants are
modeled using as actual
W
E S T E R N
E
L E C T R I C I T Y
C
O O R D I N A T I N G
C
O U N C I L
Data Sharing Team Preliminary Report
7
Time
Granularity Period
Needed
Needed
Data Needed
Access Limited by
WECC Policy,
Peak UNDA or
Specific Reliability Challenge(s)
Other
Created By Current Policy
Comments
hourly shapes; PSLF & HTC
uses historic data to
generate the P & K factors.
Currently TEPPC uses NREL
wind and solar hourly
forecasts. Since the NREL
data is model generated,
TEPPC can use actual
hourly data from Peak
Energy to calibrate and
improve model generated
data.
3.4. Historic
demand
data
W
Hourly, by
BAA
E S T E R N
Historic,
for past
10 years
E
TEPPC relies on BA-level
historical load shapes as
an input into its
production cost datasets.
TEPPC utilizes 2005
historic load shapes in its
current planning model,
but would like to have the
flexibility to use historical
hourly load profiles for
other years. Hourly load
shapes are required to
break down the monthly
LRS peak and energy load
L E C T R I C I T Y
C
O O R D I N A T I N G
C
O U N C I L
Data Sharing Team Preliminary Report
8
Time
Granularity Period
Needed
Needed
Data Needed
Access Limited by
WECC Policy,
Peak UNDA or
Specific Reliability Challenge(s)
Other
Created By Current Policy
Comments
forecasts to hourly loads,
as required in TEPPC
production cost modeling.
3.5. Energy
Efficiency
(EE),
DemandSide
Managem
ent (DSM)
and
Distribute
d
Generatio
n (DG)
data
Hourly, by
BAA
4. Intra-Hour
Load Data
4.1. Oneminute or
fiveminute
load data
that can
W
Oneminute or
five-minute
load data
One-minute or five-minute
load data is needed to
determine flexibility
reserves estimates in
TEPPC simulations.
The intra-hour database
E S T E R N
E
L E C T R I C I T Y
C
O O R D I N A T I N G
C
O U N C I L
Data Sharing Team Preliminary Report
9
Time
Granularity Period
Needed
Needed
Data Needed
be used to
determine
flexibility
reserves.
Access Limited by
WECC Policy,
Peak UNDA or
Specific Reliability Challenge(s)
Other
Created By Current Policy
Comments
was previously developed
in the Variable Generation
Submitted (VGS) been
turned over to TEPPC.
The alternative approach
to to using historic intrahour one minute data as
shapes when developing
the intra-hour forecast
would be to contract with
the Norwest National Labs
who uses an algorithm
that includes using load
forecast errors when
breaking down the hourly
data to five minute or
fifteen minute data.
In addition to determining
flexibility reserves,
stakeholders are calling on
TEPPC to update the intrahour production cost
database that is used in
EIM and RTO analysis.
Remaining one minute
data includes wind and
W
E S T E R N
E
L E C T R I C I T Y
C
O O R D I N A T I N G
C
O U N C I L
Data Sharing Team Preliminary Report
10
Time
Granularity Period
Needed
Needed
Data Needed
Access Limited by
WECC Policy,
Peak UNDA or
Specific Reliability Challenge(s)
Other
Created By Current Policy
Comments
solar that is covered by
NREL.
W
E S T E R N
E
L E C T R I C I T Y
C
O O R D I N A T I N G
C
O U N C I L
TEPPC Data Sharing Team
Concerns with Current WECC Data Sharing Policy
June 19, 2015
2. What will happen if data needed above is not obtained and/or not available for
public posting?
Question
Response
What will happen if load data for years 1-3 is not
available?
An alternative way to build year 1-3 loads is to
extrapolate between historic data and year 4-10
forecast. Forecasts for this time horizon are
inherently imprecise, and, thus, their market
sensitivity is limited. However, load forecasts
within a 12 month horizon can be commercially
sensitive.
Which specific analyses/reports cannot be
produced without the data identified above?
TEPPC approved building a near term database
for several purposes including to calibrate the
model and future dispatch and to address
stakeholders needs. For example, BPA,
ColumbiaGrid, and NTTG want to build interim
year dispatch data, starting with the near term
database (operating year). However, this data
base could not be constructed without data for
the operating year and the next five years.
If granular data cannot be released, could
aggregated data be made available? If so, at
what level could it be released? Would it allow
completion of the desired analyses/reports?
Hourly supply and demand data for loads and
resources are essential for building the hourly
database. “Must have” data include:



Historic hourly loads at the BAA level
Historic hourly DSM, EE and distributed
generation data at the BAA level
Hydro generation data at the unit level
Is there any problem with obtaining the required
data by signing an NDA? Would doing so allow
completion of the desired analyses/reports?
The foundation of TEPPC was based on FERC
Order 890 that calls for open and transparent
process that continues under FERC Order 1000.
Are there work arounds that could be
implemented if this data is not available?
Questions to address:
Should all data covered by the UNDA be truly
WESTERN ELECTRICITY COORDINATING COUNCIL
155 North 400 West, Suite 200
Salt Lake City, Utah 84103-1114
Data Sharing Team Preliminary Report
12
Question
Response
considered sensitive data in view of the facts that:




Partial sets of path flows are posted on the
BPA and CAISO sites;
FERC Order 714 allows posting BAA level
historic hourly data with a one-year lag;
Utilities post monthly forecasts for years
1-3 in their IRPs, although not all utilities
file IRPs; and
EPA CEMS posts thermal plant historic
hourly data.
As a last resort, an NDA may be required.
How much error is introduced by extrapolating
the data between known data points? Why
would this not work? Is there any other way of
producing meaningful results without this data?
This is hard to predict. Different utilities use
different methodologies for developing their load
forecasts (e.g., some may use econometric
models, others may use sophisticated tools that
factors in stochastics and socioeconomics.)
Prior to the latest changes to the Information
sharing policy, no year 1 to 3 load data was
available. How did TEPPC or its stakeholders do
their work at that time? This data is now
classified as Transmission Function Information
and is now available if an NDA is executed. Is
this not a better situation than before when it
was not shared externally?
Building a near term, operating case is new in
TEPPC modeling.
W
E S T E R N
E
L E C T R I C I T Y
C
O O R D I N A T I N G
C
O U N C I L
Data Sharing Team Preliminary Report
13
3. How would releasing and/or using the protected data be harmful?
Question
Response
How would data providers be harmed?
The rationale that year-ahead and year 1-3 load
forecast data provided to the LRS is commercially
sensitive is not supportable. Much of this load
forecast data is already available publicly through
IRP filings. It is a common practice among utility
regulators and governing bodies to keep such
information public to maintain transparency and
provide for outside review and quality
improvement.
Which specific entities would be harmed by the
release (e.g., companies, industries,
stakeholders)?
Smaller utilities such as COOPs and Municipalities
may choose to not share “monthly” level data, so
as to not compromise their respective position as
they may consider “monthly” data to be
commercially sensitive. However, most smaller
entities’ loads are part of aggregate BAA loads.
W
E S T E R N
E
L E C T R I C I T Y
C
O O R D I N A T I N G
C
O U N C I L