FERC Filings
MOTION TO INTERVENE AND PROTEST OF ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY ASSOCIATION-Entergy Services, Inc.-Docket No. RT01-75-000
G. Planning and Expansion (Function No. 7)
Pursuant to Order No. 2000, an RTO has the “ultimate responsibility for both transmission planning and expansion within its region that will enable it to provide efficient, reliable and non-discriminatory service and coordinate such efforts with the appropriate state authorities.” The Commission also expressed concern over multiple entities performing planning and expansion functions, acknowledging that separate transmission investments may work at cross-purposes and may possibly hurt reliability.
Entergy’s proposal to permit the Transco to “develop its own transmission plan and then submit this plan to the SPP for its region” “for review and inclusion in an RTO-wide plan” will remove control over regional planning and expansion from the RTO. It is unclear whether SPP’s obligation to “review and include” Entergy’s plan includes the ability to reject or modify Entergy’s plan. Discretion to approve planning and expansion proposals should reside solely with the RTO. Although Order No. 2000 does not preclude participation from individual control area operators, such participation is limited, and the ultimate determination on issues relating to the operation and development of the region lie solely with the RTO. The Transco cannot refuse or deny RTO oversight and authority to make final determinations over operations and management of all of the transmission facilities and control areas within its borders.
Again, Entergy has it backwards. Efficient utilization of the transmission grid within the region will only be accomplished based upon region-wide planning. Further, it is critical that transmission planning be done in a non-discriminatory manner. Accordingly, while it may be acceptable for the SPP to delegate certain
planning obligations for the Entergy sub-region to the Transco, the SPP RTO must serve as the regional planner. Allowing Entergy’s Transco to unilaterally “submit” its plan for its region for “inclusion” in the SPP’s plan threatens to hinder the optimal development of the grid with the region.