Reflects changes to incorporate Public Policy to meet FERC Order 1000 requirements
09-28-12
NWE Local Transmission Planning Cycle and Timeline Business
Practice
If there is any difference between this Business Practice and the Tariff (Attachment K
2.3.2), the Tariff is correct.
Study Cycle: 8 Quarters Starting in January 2012
Sharing Study Result
Q5 Data Collect
Decision
Reporting
Year 2
Prior Cycle Results
Data Collect, Goal & Scenario
Base Case Develop
Q3-6 Technical Study
Economic Planning Study
Year 1
Local Transmission Plan
Sys Planning Cycle
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q5
Q6
Q7
Q8
Interconnect & TSR
Study Results
Trans Svc &
Interconnect
Prior Year Results
Receive Requests
Prioritize & Begin Study
Study
Finish Study & Report
Receive Requests
Prioritize & Begin Study
Study
Finish Study & Report
Timeline
The typical timeline for NWE’s two-year planning process cycle is shown in the graphic.
This timeline displays the approximate time dedicated to each of the planning steps and
time when data (load forecast, generation, customer data, will be collected. The following
outlines the quarterly process, including the data collection in Quarters 1 and 5.
1.
LTP Sequence of Events: Transmission Provider shall use the following timeline
in preparing its LTP.
1.1.
Quarter 1: Data Collection, Goal and Scenario Definition
1.1.1
Each Transmission Customer taking service under Part II of the
OATT, or which has an accepted reservation in the transmission
queue to take service under Part II shall provide data as requested
by the Transmission Provider. Transmission Provider will gather
Network Customers’ projected loads and resources, and load
growth expectations (based on annual updates and other
information available to it); Transmission Provider’s projected
LTP Study Cycle Data Collection Timeline
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Reflects changes to incorporate Public Policy to meet FERC Order 1000 requirements
09-28-12
load growth and resource needs for its Eligible Customers; Pointto-Point Transmission Service customer’s projections for longterm (greater than 1 year) at each receipt and delivery point
(based on information submitted by the customer to the
Transmission Provider) including projections of rollover rights;
and information from all Transmission Customers and the
Transmission Provider on behalf of Native Load Customers
concerning existing and planned demand resources and their
impact on demand and peak demand. The Transmission Provider
shall take into consideration, to the extent known or which may
be obtained from its Transmission Customers and active queue
requests, obligations that will either commence or terminate
during the applicable study window.
1.1.2
Any stakeholder may submit data to be evaluated as part of the
preparation of the draft Local Transmission Plan, and uncertainty
and other scenarios including alternate solutions to the identified
needs set out in prior Local Transmission Plans and Public Policy
Objectives and transmission needs driven by Public Policy
Objectives. In doing so, the stakeholder shall submit the data
during Quarters 1 and 5. The URL for the Instructions for
Submitting Alternative Solutions can be found under Section J in
http://www.oatioasis.com/NWMT/NWMTdocs/Attachment_K_B
usiness_Practice_Links.doc.
1.1.3
Transmission Provider, with input from stakeholders and
interested parties, will define the LTP goal and define the
uncertainty and other scenarios.
1.1.4
Transmission Provider will post on its OASIS website the basic
methodology, criteria, process, its assumptions and databases that
the Transmission Provider will use to prepare the Local
Transmission Plan. Transmission Provider will also post on it
OASIS website a list of transmission needs driven by Public
LTP Study Cycle Data Collection Timeline
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Reflects changes to incorporate Public Policy to meet FERC Order 1000 requirements
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Policy Objectives that will be evaluated in the biennial
transmission planning process and why other suggested
transmission needs driven by Public Policy Objectives will not be
evaluated.
1.1.5
Confidential data and information and Critical Energy
Infrastructure Information will be protected as required.
1.2.
Quarter 2-6: Technical Study
1.2.1
Quarter 2: Transmission Provider, with input from stakeholders
and interested parties, will develop base cases that include load
and resource data, Public Policy Requirements and transmission
needs driven by Public Policy Requirements for the LTP, and
Public Policy Objectives for the uncertainty and other scenarios.
Customer load, Demand Resource, and generation data received
from customers will be included as appropriate in the
development of the base case. .
1.2.2
Quarter 5: Transmission Provider will coordinate the Economic
Congestion Study results, and new generation interconnection
resource study results into the LTP as appropriate. . Any
stakeholder may submit comments, additional information about
new or changed circumstances relating to loads, resources,
transmission projects, Public Policy Objectives and transmission
needs driven by Public Policy Objectives, or alternative solutions
to be evaluated as part of the preparation of the draft transmission
plan or submit identified changes to the data it provided in
Quarter 1. The level of detail provided by the stakeholder should
match the level of detail described in Quarter 1 above.
1.2.3
Quarter 2-6: Transmission Provider will conduct powerflow,
transient stability studies, post transient power flow and other
studies.
1.2.3.1 All stakeholder submissions, including Public Policy
Objectives and transmission needs driven by Public
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Policy Objectives, will be evaluated on a basis
comparable to data and submissions required for planning
the transmission system for both retail and wholesale
customers, and solutions will be evaluated based on a
comparison of their relative economics and ability to meet
reliability criteria.
1.2.3.2 Transmission Provider will study the existing
transmission system over the 15-year planning horizon
and identify reliability concerns.
1.2.3.3 Transmission Provider will identify mitigation and
analyze the transmission system with mitigation included.
1.2.3.4 Transmission Provider will collect information from the
analysis to be used in Quarter 7 decisions.
1.2.4
Transmission Provider will consider transmission and nontransmission solutions, including transmission solutions driven
by Public Policy Objectives, Demand Resource load adjustments,
to mitigate for unacceptable reliability performance problems that
do not meet planning criteria.
1.2.5
Transmission Provider will consider the results from Economic
Congestion Studies completed during Quarters 1-4 of the current
LCP study cycle or Economic Congestion Study results from
studies completed during the prior year Economic Congestion
Study cycle.
1.3.
Quarter 7: Decision
1.3.1
Using data and information from the Technical Study, the
Transmission Provider, with input from stakeholders and
interested parties, will define its fifteen (15) year LTP.
1.3.2
All solutions, including solutions from stakeholders and
transmission solutions for Public Policy Objectives, will be
evaluated against each other based on a comparison of their
relative economics and ability to meet reliability criteria.
LTP Study Cycle Data Collection Timeline
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Reflects changes to incorporate Public Policy to meet FERC Order 1000 requirements
1.4.
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Quarter 8: Reporting and Coordination
1.4.1
Transmission Provider will report the LTP to stakeholders and
submit the LTP to Regional and Interregional Planning entities
and other Interconnection Wide Planning entities conducting
similar studies.
1.4.2
Transmission Provider will communicate its LTP with owners
and operators of the neighboring interconnected transmission
systems.
1.4.3
Transmission Provider will post on its OASIS its final LTP report
and all draft LTP reports.
LTP Study Cycle Data Collection Timeline
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