Electrical intertie standards go to RCA

The Intertie Management Committee that oversees the operation of the 170-mile state-owned electrical transmission intertie between Willow and Healy has submitted new operation reliability standards for the intertie to the Regulatory Commission of Alaska for review. The intertie provides the only power transmission linkage between Southcentral Alaska and the sections of the Railbelt transmission grid that serve the Fairbanks area of the Alaska Interior.

With multiple utilities using the Railbelt grid for the shipment of power and for balancing power supplies from multiple generation systems with demand from multiple population centers, a clear set of standards that all users must comply with is critically important to smooth intertie operation. The Railbelt grid is undergoing a period of transition as new power generation is added to various points of the grid, bringing additional utilities into the business of managing the dispatch of power around the grid.

Appropriate standards can also ensure equal rights of access to the grid for all potential grid users.

The Intertie Management Committee consists of the leadership of the Alaska Energy Authority, Chugach Electric Association, Golden Valley Electric Association, Matanuska Electric Association and Municipal Light & Power.

“We want to provide reliability and a standard for interconnected grid operations, while incorporating non-discriminatory open access,” said Brad Evans, Chugach Electric CEO and chairman of the committee, when announcing adoption of the new standards.

“The managers and operators of the intertie, including the Alaska Energy Authority, have been actively working on the development of expanded open access language for two years, as part of the Alaska Intertie Agreement,” said Sara Fisher-Goad, AEA executive director. “The committee’s actions honor the open access principles that are important to the state while advancing reliability standards to the RCA.”

—Alan Bailey