nerc top certification final report certification dl... · rev 0 -top certification of valley...

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NERC TOP Certification Final Report

Valley Electric Association, Inc (VEA) NCR05447

Site Visit Conducted November 20-21, 2012 Final Report December 26, 2012

ii Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Table of Contents .............................................................................................................................ii

Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1

Certification Team ........................................................................................................................... 2

Objective and Scope ....................................................................................................................... 3

Overall Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 4

Certification Team Determinations ................................................................................................ 5

Items Requiring Completion ....................................................................................................... 5

Findings ....................................................................................................................................... 5

Positive Observations ..................................................................................................................... 6

Company History - Background ...................................................................................................... 7

Corporate .................................................................................................................................... 7

System Overview ........................................................................................................................ 8

Company Details – Operating Facility ........................................................................................... 10

Control Center / SCADA System Description ............................................................................ 10

Documentation List ....................................................................................................................... 11

Attachment 1 – Certification Team............................................................................................... 12

TOP Certification Team ............................................................................................................. 12

VEA Personnel ........................................................................................................................... 12

CISO Personnel .......................................................................................................................... 13

Attachment 2 – Certification Process Steps ................................................................................. 14

Documentation Review ............................................................................................................ 14

Applications Review .................................................................................................................. 14

Attachment 3 – Certification Team Findings – Needed for Operation ......................................... 15

Introduction

1 Rev 0 -TOP Certification of Valley Electric Association, Inc

Introduction This report presents the results of the WECC led Certification Team’s (CT) efforts to endorse Valley Electric Association, Inc (NCR05447) as a Transmission Operator (TOP) in the WECC Region certified by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC).

TOPs have a primary responsibility for maintaining the real-time reliability of the local transmission system, and operate, or direct the operations of the transmission facilities. Acceptable reliability levels can be maintained only if the TOPs, and other entities that make up the Interconnection, function in accordance with good operating practices and reliability criteria defined by the NERC Reliability Standards. Good operating practices include, but are not limited to, full compliance with the NERC Reliability Standards without regard to economic consideration or burdening neighboring systems.

Certification Team

Rev 0 -TOP Certification of Valley Electric Association, Inc 2

Certification Team Following notification of VEA’s request for certification and registration as a TOP, a CT was formed and a review date was selected to perform an on-site visit. The rosters for members of both the CT and the VEA and CAISO participants are listed in Attachment 1.

Objective and Scope


Objective and Scope The objective of the CT review was to assess VEA’s processes, procedures, tools, training and personnel that allow it to perform the function of a TOP. The CT also reviewed the Coordinated Functional Registration (CFR) relationship that exists between VEA and it’s adjacent BA, the California ISO (CISO). The scope of the review included: (1) interviewing VEA’s management and reviewing pertinent documentation for verification of basic requirements for TOP operation; (2) reviewing procedures and other documentation developed by VEA to meet the applicable standards/ requirements; (3) interviewing VEA system operations personnel; (4) reviewing VEA’s primary capabilities, Energy Management System (EMS), communication facilities, operator displays, etc., and (5) performing other validation reviews as considered necessary. An on-site review was held at the VEA’s primary Control Center (PCC) on November 21-22, 2012.

Overall Conclusion


Overall Conclusion The certification process was completed in reasonable accordance with the NERC Rules of Procedure (ROP) to determine if VEA has the necessary processes, procedures, tools, training and personnel to perform the function as a NERC-certified TOP, in addition to a CFR agreement in place with the CISO. VEA presented evidence related to the applicable standards/requirements for the CT to review. Based on this evidentiary review, the CT has reasonable assurance that VEA has the processes, procedures, tools, training and personnel in place to reliably perform the TOP function.

Therefore, the CT recommends that Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) approve certification of VEA as a NERC-certified TOP, and forward such approval to NERC for final review and approval.

The CT found the VEA operators to be equipped with the necessary operating tools, and they are prepared to perform the TOP operations. VEA’s system operators are NERC-certified operators which they currently have three (3). VEA has an additional employee that is NERC certified but assigned to a different function that System Operator.

Certification Team Findings – Needed for Operation


Certification Team Determinations

Items Requiring Completion At the conclusion of the site visit, a number of items were agreed that required completion prior to the certification of VEA as a TOP and a schedule for completion was agreed. The list of these items is included as Attachment 3. As noted in Attachment 3, evidence of completion of these items was provided to the CT for review and confirmation. Each item was closed to the satisfaction of the CT prior to the issuance of this Final Report.

Findings No findings which would prevent VEA from being certified as a NERC-certified TOP were identified by the CT as of the issuance of this Final Report.

Positive Observations



• Positive #1 Discussions of Cyber-security issues at the monthly safety

meetings with the entire staff • Positive #2

Selective approach to hiring operators • Positive #3

Management support of Operating Staff • Positive #4

Self-initiated pursuit and installation of the WECCNet message system



Company History - Background

Corporate

Valley Electric Association, Inc. (VEA) is a Nevada nonprofit electric cooperative utility headquartered in Pahrump, Nevada. VEA was incorporated in 1965, and serves distribution customers in both Nevada and California. VEA’s service includes more than 6,800 square miles, located mainly along the California-Nevada border, with the majority being in Nevada. In the south, the service area starts in Sandy Valley, southwest of Las Vegas, and extends for more than 250 miles to Fish Lake Valley and beyond (roughly halfway to Reno), in the north. A map of VEA’s service territory is shown below.

Company History - Background


VEA’s members elect, by ballot, six directors from each of VEA’s districts to the VEA Board of Directors, which is responsible for the overall management of the organization. The districts are shown in the map contained above as well.

In 2011, VEA transferred all of its high-voltage transmission facilities to its wholly-owned subsidiary, Valley Electric Transmission Association, LLC (VETA). VEA is the sole member and manager of VETA. While VETA owns all of the 230 kV and 138 kV transmission facilities, and the “high side” of the network’s fourteen substations and switching stations, VEA operates and maintains these facilities via a contract with VETA. VETA does not have any employees. All distribution facilities are still owned by VEA.

System Overview

VEA and VETA own and operate transmission, distribution and substation facilities. VETA’s transmission facilities include 230 kV and 138 kV transmission systems; both systems include redundant points of delivery. The southern connection of VETA’s 230 kV transmission line originates at WAPA’s Mead Station and connects to VEA’s Pahrump and Desert View Substations. VETA is in the process of creating a 230 kV “loop” that will interconnect with NV Energy’s Northwest Substation, which should be complete by January 3, 2013, and will ultimately interconnect the Mead Station to the Northwest Substation via 230 kV. This will provide VEA with a redundant transmission feed for increased reliability. The 138 kV system originates at WAPA’s Amargosa Substation and is interconnected with multiple VEA/VETA owned substations and switch stations. Additionally, a part of VETA’s 138 kV is interconnected with the U.S. Department of Energy at Jackass Flats Substation on the Nevada National Security Site. VEA owns a radial 55 kV subtransmission system in Fish Lake Valley, NV as well. Seven of VEA’s substations serve the 24.9 kV distribution loads of VEA members. A map showing VEA’s transmission facilities is provided below.



On October 13, 2011, VEA executed a transition agreement with the California Independent System Operator Corporation (CAISO). VEA is currently in the process of transitioning into the CAISO, which process should be complete by January 3, 2013. In conjunction with VEA’s transition, VEA has executed a Coordinated Functional Registration Agreement (CFR) with CAISO that deleinates certain responsibilities related to NERC compliance between VEA and CAISO. This transition will cause VEA to leave the Balancing Authority Area (BAA) of NV Energy and join the BAA of the CAISO, effective on the transition date.

Company Details – Operating Facility


Company Details – Operating Facility

Control Center / SCADA System Description VEA’s main control center is integrated in VEA’s headquarters in Pahrump, NV. By the time the 230 “Northwest Loop” project is complete, VEA’s control center will be staffed 24/7 with NERC certified Power System Controllers on rotating shifts, as well as a Lead Power System Controller. Supporting the Power System Controllers and Lead on a daily basis will be a NERC certified System Engineer and an Engineering Manager. VEA will also have a backup control center approximately 8 miles from VEA’s headquarters. Future plans call for an additional redundant control center approximately 40 miles from VEA’s headquarters, near Mercury, NV.

The transmission, distribution and substations are monitored real-time on a SCADA EMS system. The SCADA EMS system allows for control of substation equipment (breakers, switches, reclosers), real-time visibility of system analog and status values, alarm processing for abnormal conditions, data trending, device tagging, historical archiving and more. The distribution system is further monitored on a separate Outage Management System, which can be tracked down to each individual consumer meter.

The control center includes a diverse availability of voice communication methods, including office telephones, cell phones, satellite phones, and two-way radios. The control center has a backup power generator and UPS systems. A photo of VEA’s operations room is shown below.

Documentation List


Documentation List Copies of all of the supporting VEA documents were collected as evidence of VEA’s preparedness, and will be kept as a record of evidence to support the CT’s recommendation. These documents will be retained at the WECC offices in Salt Lake City, Utah for a period of six (6) years.

None of the documents listed below are included with the distribution of this final report. Per the NERC Rules of Procedure, and due to the confidential nature of this material, these documents are available for review at the WECC offices after proper authorization is obtained through WECC and NERC:

VEA RC Questionnaire

VEA RC Master Matrix

VEA BA Questionnaire

VEA BA Master Matrix

VEA TOP Questionnaire

VEA TOP Master Matrix

VEA’s various TOP evidence files

Presentations made by the CT and VEA

Internal Compliance Program and Internal Controls Documentation

Attachment 1 – Certification Team



TOP Certification Team

Table 1: TOP Certification Team

Name Position Organization

Paul W. Rice Assistant Director, Operations WECC

Jack Wiseman Manager – Organization

Registration and Certification NERC

Scott Downey Manager Reliability

Coordination WECC

Paul Morland System Operation Engineer Colorado Springs Utilities

VEA Personnel

Table 2: VEA Personnel Participants

Name Position

Curt Ledford General Counsel and Manager of NERC Compliance

Chris Tomchuk Executive Vice President of Engineering and Operations

Kristin Mettke Engineering Manager

Mike Anderson Lead Power System Controller



CISO Personnel

Table 3: CISO Personnel Participant

Name Position

Paul Bleuss CISO Shift Supervisor

Attachment 2 – Certification Process Steps



Documentation Review Using the TOP Questionnaire, TOP Master Matrix and documents requested based on professional judgment, the CT reviewed the appropriate documentation that provided reasonable assurance that VEA has the processes, procedures, tools, training and personnel to operate as a NERC-certified TOP.

The TOP Questionnaire template is available on NERC’s website. The TOP Master Matrix is a spreadsheet created using the VRF Matrix available on NERC’s website under the Standards link, and eliminating all functions other than the TOP function. Using the TOP Master Matrix spreadsheet, the CT cataloged the documentation evidence provided by VEA. The spreadsheet contains all the applicable NERC Standards and associated Requirements for an entity to be evaluated as a NERC-certified TOP. In the Certification Process, the CT inserted the appropriate VEA document references in which evidence provided by VEA met the applicable Standards and Requirements.

Applications Review The site visit focused on documentation review, interview of VEA’s operators, and evaluation of the TOP applications and operator toolset that VEA has available for their operators Finally, the CT reviewed VEA’s online applications that are used to perform the TOP requirements.



Attachment 3 – Certification Team Findings – Needed for Operation All items listed below requiring completion prior to the certification of VEA as a TOP were closed to the satisfaction of the CT prior to the issuance of this Final Report.

o 1. Issue – Establish ICCP link between VEA and WECC RC – (COM-01-1, R1) “Each Reliability Coordinator, Transmission Operator and Balancing Authority shall provide adequate and reliable telecommunications facilities for the exchange of Interconnection and operating information: R1.2. Between the Reliability Coordinator and its Transmission Operators and Balancing Authorities.”

Documentation presented and reviewed on: December 20, 2012

o 2. Issue – Provide documentation to the CT that data requests have been sent to the RC office. (FAC-014, R-2) “The Transmission Operator shall establish SOLs (as directed by its Reliability Coordinator) for its portion of the Reliability Coordinator Area that are consistent with its Reliability Coordinator’s SOL/IROL Methodology.”


o 3. Issue – Modify VEA PER-001-0.1 document to current PER-001-0.2 document. (PER-001-0.2)


o 4. Issue – Modify VEA Emergency Operations Plan, section 9.1.4.1 to indicate CISO responsibility. (EOP-001-R7.4)


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