NYISO Tariffs --> Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) --> 4 OATT Network Integration Transmission Service --> 4.5 OATT Additional Study Procedures For Network Integration
The FERC Order No. 888 provisions for initiating a Network Integration Transmission System expansion by an Eligible Customer are contained in this Section. Additional ISO responsibilities for Eligible Customer requests related to Network Integration Transmission System expansion are contained in Section 4.5.7. Study procedures associated with new Load and Large Facility Interconnections to the NYS Power System are contained in Section 4.5.8. Section 3.10 addresses prioritization of network and point‑to‑point transmission expansion and interconnection studies. Nothing in this Tariff shall preclude the Transmission Owners from proposing or constructing transmission facilities in the public interest in accordance with all applicable regulatory requirements.
Network Integration Transmission Service is available to an Eligible Customer, including a Transmission Owner, willing to pay Congestion Rent as described in this Tariff. A request for Network Integration Transmission Service would not normally require a Network Integration Transmission Service Study unless the Eligible Customer specifically requests that the ISO conduct such a study of facilities that could be constructed (for example, if the Eligible Customer requesting Network Integration Transmission Service determines that Congestion Rent or the cost of TCCs is too high and that customer is considering constructing new facilities to create incremental transfer capability resulting in incremental TCCs, or, if an Eligible Customer requests that transmission facilities be constructed to address reliability or other operational concerns) (a “Study Request”). When an Eligible Customer submits a Network Integration Transmission Service Study Request it must give the ISO written notice of whether it intends to conduct all or part of the Network Integration Transmission Service Study itself. After receiving a complete Network Integration Transmission Service Study Request, the ISO shall, within thirty (30) days of the date that the Operating Committee approves the scope of the Network Integration Transmission Service Study, or such other time as is agreed upon by the ISO and the Eligible Customer, tender a Network Integration Transmission Service Study agreement pursuant to which the Eligible Customer shall agree to reimburse the ISO for performing the required System Impact Study. The ISO shall coordinate with the affected Transmission Owners in performing the Network Integration Transmission Service Study. A description of the ISO's methodology for completing a Network Integration Transmission Service Study is provided in Attachment D. Before a Network Integration Transmission Service Study Request is evaluated, the Eligible Customer shall execute the Network Integration Transmission Service Study agreement and return it to the ISO within fifteen (15) days. If the Eligible Customer elects not to execute the Network Integration Transmission Service Study agreement, its Study Request shall be deemed withdrawn.
The Network Integration Transmission Service Study agreement will clearly specify the ISO's estimate of the actual cost, and time for completion of the Network Integration Transmission Service Study.
The charge shall not exceed the actual cost of the study. In performing the Network Integration Transmission Service Study, the ISO shall rely, to the extent reasonably practicable, on existing transmission planning studies including applicable studies submitted by the Eligible Customer. The Eligible Customer will not be assessed a charge for such existing studies; however, the Eligible Customer will be responsible for charges associated with any modifications to existing planning studies that are reasonably necessary to evaluate the impact of the Eligible Customer's Network Integration Transmission Service Study Request.
For Network Integration Transmission Service Studies that a Transmission Owner or the ISO conducts on its own behalf, the Transmission Owner or ISO shall record the cost of the Network Integration Transmission Service Studies pursuant to Section 8.
If a Transmission Owner, on behalf of the ISO, performs all or part of a Network Integration Transmission Service Study, the ISO shall reimburse the Transmission Owner for any costs that the Transmission Owner incurred.
The ISO shall coordinate with all affected Transmission Owners in performing the Network Integration Transmission Service Study.
Upon receipt of an executed Network Integration Transmission Service Study agreement, the ISO will complete the required Network Integration Transmission Service Study as follows:
4.5.3.1 if the Network Integration Transmission Service Study Request specified that the Eligible Customer would not perform any part of the study then the ISO shall use due diligence to complete the study, and to obtain all necessary stakeholder approvals, within a one hundred and twenty (120) day period, or a different period agreed to by the Eligible Customer and the ISO, starting on the date that the ISO receives the executed Network Integration Transmission Service Study Agreement, or an alternative starting date agreed to by the Eligible Customer and the ISO; or
4.5.3.2 if the Network Integration Transmission Service Study Request specified that the Eligible Customer would perform all or part of the Network Integration Transmission Service Study itself, then:
4.5.3.2.1 the ISO shall use due diligence to complete those portion(s) of the study that the Eligible Customer is not performing, and to obtain all necessary stakeholder approvals of those portions, within a one hundred and twenty (120) day period, or a different period agreed to by the Eligible Customer and the ISO, starting on the date that the ISO receives the executed Network Integration Transmission Service Study Agreement, or an alternative starting date agreed to by the Eligible Customer and the ISO; and
4.5.3.2.2 the ISO shall use due diligence to review any portion(s) of a study performed by an Eligible Customer within a thirty (30) day period or a different period agreed to by the Eligible Customer and the ISO, starting on the date that the ISO receives a complete draft from the Eligible Customer of its portion(s) of the study, or an alternative starting date agreed to by the Eligible Customer and the ISO. If the ISO determines that the portion(s) of the study performed by the Eligible Customer are incomplete or that changes are required, the Eligible Customer shall make any necessary changes. The ISO shall then use due diligence to review a revised complete draft of the Eligible Customer's portion(s) of the study within thirty days, or a different period agreed to by the Eligible Customer and the ISO, starting on the date that the ISO receives a revised complete draft, or an alternative starting date agreed to by the Eligible Customer and the ISO.
Upon the ISO’s issuance of a final draft study report, the Eligible Customer must proceed with its study report to the Transmission Planning Advisory Subcommittee (“TPAS”) of the ISO Operating Committee within three (3) months and to the next Operating Committee meeting following the TPAS review; provided, however, if the TPAS recommends revisions or supplements to the study report, the revised report must proceed to the next TPAS meeting following completion of such revisions, and to the next Operating Committee following the TPAS review of the revised study report. Failure to proceed with its study report to the TPAS and Operating Committee within these time frames will result in withdrawal of the Study Request.
The ISO will normally submit Network Integration Transmission Service Studies to the Operating Committee before finalizing them. If the Operating Committee directs the ISO to modify a Network Integration Transmission Service Study or to perform other study-related work before granting its approval, then the deadline for completing the study will be extended for an additional time agreed upon by the ISO and the Eligible Customer. If the ISO and the Eligible Customer are unable to agree on an additional time the deadline for completing the study will be extended for another sixty (60) days.
The Network Integration Transmission Service Study shall identify any additional Direct Assignment Facilities or Network Upgrades required to comply with an Eligible Customer’s or Transmission Owner’s request. In the event that the ISO is unable to complete the required Network Integration Transmission Service Study within such time period, it shall so notify the Eligible Customer and provide an estimated completion date along with an explanation of the reasons why additional time is required to complete the required studies. A copy of the completed Network Integration Transmission Service Study and related work papers shall be made available to the Eligible Customer as soon as the Network Integration Transmission Service Study is complete. The ISO will use the same due diligence in completing the Network Integration Transmission Service Study for an Eligible Customer as it uses when completing studies for itself or a Transmission Owner. The ISO shall notify the Eligible Customer immediately upon completion of the Network Integration Transmission Service Study if the Network Integration Transmission Service Study Request can be completed at no additional cost (e.g., if the ISO is currently studying requests to construct similar facilities).
After completion of a Network Integraion Transmission Service Study, if an Eligible Customer seeks to pursue construction of transmission upgrades, the Eligible Customer may do so by initiating the Transmission Interconnection Process pursuant to Attachment P of the ISO OATT. An Eligible Customer may also proceed directly to Attachment P of the ISO OATT without first submitting a Network Integration Transmission Service Request or completing a Network Integration Transmission Service Study under this Section 4.5.
Section 3.7.9 defines penalties that apply for failure to meet the due diligence deadlines for Firm Transmission ServiceStudies under Section 3 of the Tariff. These same requirements and penalties apply to Network Integration Transmission Service studies under Section 4 of the Tariff.
Section 3.7.10 specifies the procedures that shall govern the clustering of System Impact Studies conducted by the ISO and Facilities Studies conducted by affected Transmission Owners. These same procedures apply to Network Integration Transmission Service studies under Section 4 of the Tariff.
4.5.7.1 At the request of the PSC, the ISO shall develop a limited number of illustrative transmission reinforcement options, and associated cost estimates, to increase transfer capability limits on Interfaces identified by the PSC as having significant Congestion. Such reinforcement option results shall be made available to all Customers or potential Customers for the purpose of evaluating the economic costs and benefits of new facilities. Eligible Customers, including Transmission Owners, may then request a System Impact Study for a specific expansion project in accordance with Sections 4.5.1 through 4.5.3. Development of the transmission reinforcement options will not reflect the impacts of alternatives that may be proposed by other Eligible Customers, including generation projects, which could increase or decrease transmission Interface Transfer Capability or Congestion Rents or both. Cost estimates provided will be based on readily available data and shall in no way be binding on the ISO. The ISO will not charge the PSC for this service.
4.5.7.2 Subject to the Eligible Customer’s obligation to compensate the ISO, at the request of an Eligible Customer, the ISO will develop illustrative transmission reinforcement options as described in Section 4.5.7.1 above. The Eligible Customer shall comply with the provisions of Sections 4.5.1 through 4.5.3 that require the customer to enter into a Network Integration Transmission Service Study agreement and agree to compensate the ISO for all costs incurred to conduct the study.
4.5.7.3 Requests to proceed with a system expansion shall be subject to the provisions of Section 4.5 and Attachment P of the ISO OATT, as applicable.
Any Eligible Customer proposing to interconnect its Load or Large Facility with the NYS Power System shall submit its interconnection proposal to the ISO. The ISO, in cooperation with the Transmission Owner with whose system the Eligible Customer proposes to interconnect, shall perform technical studies to determine whether the proposed interconnection may degrade system reliability or adversely affect the operation of the NYS Power System. The technical studies shall be conducted in accordance with the procedures specified in Section 4.5.8.2. The proposed interconnection shall not proceed if the ISO concludes in the study that the proposed interconnection may degrade system reliability or adversely affect the operation of the NYS Power System. If the proposal is rejected, the ISO shall provide in writing the reasons why the proposal was rejected.
Upon receipt of the interconnection proposal and a written guarantee by the Eligible Customer to pay all costs incurred by the ISO and Transmission Owner(s) conducting the technical studies, the ISO, in cooperation with the Transmission Owner with whose system the Eligible Customer proposes to interconnect, shall perform the technical studies of the proposed interconnection. The ISO shall evaluate each Large Facility using the Interconnection Studies specified in the Large Facility Interconnection Procedures in Attachment X. The technical studies shall address the following:
(i) An evaluation of the potential significant impacts of the proposed interconnection on NYS Power System reliability, at a level of detail that reflects the magnitude of the impacts and the reasonable likelihood of their occurrence;
(ii) An evaluation of impacts of the proposed interconnection on system voltage, stability and thermal limitations, as prescribed in the Reliability Rules;
(iii) An evaluation as to whether modifications to the NYS Power System would be required to maintain Interface transfer capability or comply with the voltage, stability and thermal limitations, as prescribed in the Reliability Rules. The ISO will apply the criteria established by NERC, NPCC and the NYSRC;
(iv) An evaluation of alternatives that would eliminate adverse reliability impacts, if any, resulting from the proposed interconnection; and
(v) An estimate of the increase or decrease in the Total Transfer Capability across each affected Interface.
After receiving the approval of the proposed interconnection, and after the Eligible Customer makes payment to the ISO and Transmission Owner for the cost of the technical studies, the Eligible Customer may elect to continue with the proposed interconnection by entering into an interconnection agreement with the Transmission Owner with whose system the Eligible Customer proposes to interconnect. After completion of the Interconnection Facilities Study and Attachment S cost allocation process, the Developer of a Large Generating Facility may elect, in accordance with the Large Facility Interconnection Procedures in Attachment X, to continue with its proposed interconnection by entering into a Standard Large Generator Interconnection Agreement with the ISO and the Transmission Owner with whose system the Developer proposes to interconnect.
The Developer of the proposed Large Facility shall be responsible for the cost of the facilities needed for its project to reliably interconnect to the New York State Power System, in accordance with the interconnection facilities cost allocation rules set out in Attachment S.
The interconnection procedures, and standard interconnection agreement, to be used for the interconnection of generating facilities no larger than 20 MWs, are set forth in Attachment Z to this ISO OATT.
Effective Date: 12/16/2017 - Docket #: ER18-80-000 - Page 1