Report of the Planning Coordination Committee

1. Report of the Planning Coordination Committee WECC Board of Directors Meeting April 21, 2006 San Diego, CA

2. 2005 Annual Study Program • The Annual Study Program • provides base cases for WECC members • 14 new power flow base cases were developed • 5 cases prepared for use in operating studies • 9 cases for planning studies out to 2014-15 • Used by SRWG and Staff to provide an ongoing reliability and risk assessment for the Western interconnection • 46 various disturbances were simulated • Focus on multiple contingencies and severe disturbances

3. 2005 Annual Study Program • Category B – Loss of a single element (generator, transmission circuit, transformer) • Category C – Loss of two or more elements (two ccts on a common tower line or corridor, bus section, DC bipole, etc) • Category D – Extreme Events leading to the loss of multiple elements (all ccts on corridor, entire switchyard, entire powerplant, failure of a SPS with redundancy, etc)

4. 2005 Annual Study Program • All of the forty-six disturbance simulations met or exceeded their specified Category of the Planning Standards • One Category B disturbance simulation exhibited post-transient voltage deviations greater than that allowed in the “WECC Disturbance-Performance Table of Allowable Effects on Other Systems.” • Since the post-transient voltage deviations occurred in the system where the disturbance took place, the disturbance simulation still achieved Category B performance. • TSS has recommended that the member report on plans to maintain secure system operation or provide documentation of internal system standards that are less stringent than Category B.

5. 2005 Annual Study Program • Recommendation • The Planning Coordination Committee recommends Board approval of the 2005 Study Program Annual Report.

6. Regional Planning & Facility Rating • Projects Entering Phase I of the Facility Rating Process. • Imperial Valley-San Felipe Transmission Project (1000 MW) -- IID • Sunrise Powerlink Project (1000 MW) -- SDG&E • Ely Energy Center (2000 MW) -- SPPC • Harry Allen-Robinson Summit (2000 MW) -- Great Basin Transmission • Miracle Mile-Ault 230 kV (75 MW) – WAPA • Desert Rock Energy Project (1400 MW) – APS • Projects Completing Phase 1, Entering Phase 2 of the Facility Rating Process • Path 46 increase to 11,823 MW due to DPV2 -- 1200 MW increase from the 10,623 MW proposed increase • Montana-Alberta Transmission Line -- 300 MW • Indian Hills-Upland 500 kV Project – 1000 MW rating

7. Transmission Projects Under Consideration Northern Lights Montana Alberta Tie Line John Day-McNary Seabreeze DC Frontier Project Southwest Intertie Project Trans-West Express Project TransBay DC Line Miracle Mile-Ault Robinson Summit- Harry Allen 500 kV Navajo Transmission Project Segment 1 Tehachapi Wind Interconnection Colorado-New Mexico Interconnection Project Green Path Project IV-San Felipe Indian Hills - Upland Palo Verde–Devers II Sunrise Powerlink

8. Subcommittee and Workgroup Update • Subcommittee and Workgroup Functional Guidelines • PCC approved FG for the Loads and Resources Subcommittee and the Disturbance Monitoring Work Group • Loads and Resources Subcommittee • Developed Work Plan for 2006/7 • Improvements Planned for 2006 Assessment • Improved application of adverse temperature methodology • Consideration of both generation and transmission risks in the power supply adequacy, and • Incremental improvements to the application of the Power Supply Design Criteria to address power pools and addition of transmission contingencies in the assessment.

9. Subcommittee and Workgroup Update • Production Simulation Program Task Force (PSPTF) Final Report • PSPTF was formed to make recommendations for production simulation program to use for data base maintenance. Subsequently, these tasks were expanded to evaluate programs suitable for WECC’s implementation of its new economic transmission expansion planning function and possibly for resource adequacy assessments. • Reviewed many programs but narrowed field to three for detailed review. • Arrived at three recommendations: • Because of the need to improve the models discussed above and continually refine and validate the loads, resource and transmission inputs to the SSG_WI data base the PSPTF recommends that a work group be created specifically for support of production simulation models and data. • WECC should work with multiple software vendors to distribute WECC data in a commonly agreed to format. • PSPTF identifies the New Energy Associate’s PROMOD IV software package as the program best suited for WECC staff’s use for database management, production power cost scenario simulation and potential resource adequacy assessment. • PCC voted their general agreement with the report and to forward it to the TEPPC for their refinement and action.

10. Subcommittee and Workgroup Update • Desert Southwest Area Coordinator • DSW members have decided to contract out the Area Coordinator role and have approached WECC if they would in this role. • Modeling and Validation Work Group • Working on improved load models and wind generator dynamic models. • Disturbance Monitoring Work Group • All the monitors in the WECC plan are either in-service or committed. • Four remaining monitors should be in-service by July 2006.

11. PCC 2006/7 Goals • Modeling • Implement improvements to system load models and wind generator models. • Reduce the number of late base case data submittals and data errors • Complete the installation of the disturbance monitors during 2006. • Resolve Data Confidentiality and Data Access by Members, Subcommittee, and Task Force members • Improved Assessment • Enhance the Adequacy of Supply Assessment by including Resource Adequacy Guidelines, Metrics, and Targets • Develop recommendation concerning the TRDTF Database by Oct06 • Review process of identifying contingencies for Study Program Annual Report

12. PCC 2006/7 Goals • EPAct & FERC Alignment • Complete the identification of WECC Standards over and above the NERC approved Reliability Standards. • Collaborate with DOE on the Congestion Report and National Electric Interest Transmission Corridors efforts. • Modify the WECC LVRT Criteria as necessary based on FERC Ruling 661 and 661A • Outreach • Continue improvements in outreach and communication with stakeholders, regulators, and states/provincial in the Western Interconnection