RCA expectations for transmission meetings

Alan Bailey

Petroleum News

The Regulatory Commission of Alaska has issued an order inviting presentations at a series of commission public meetings designed to review the status of voluntary efforts towards a more unified approach to the management and operation of the Alaska Railbelt electricity transmission system. As previously reported in Petroleum News, the commission plans to hold meetings on May 23, June 13 and June 27. In its order the commission said that it is inviting electric public utilities and people affected or potentially affected by changes to the system to present reports or comments at the meetings.

In June 2015 the commission made a series of recommendations for the reform of the electrical system and, since then, has been monitoring voluntary efforts by the six Railbelt electric utilities to meet the commission’s requirements. The utilities have been reporting to the commission on the progress that they have been making.

However, the commission, Alaska legislators and other interested parties are concerned whether adequate progress is being made toward the timely meeting of the commission’s expectations, the commission said in its new order. The upcoming meetings are designed to enable up-to-date reporting on the specifics of progress made and work remaining to be carried out.

The May 23 meeting will review the status of the formation of an independent transmission company to operate the electricity transmission grid. The commission will require specific dates and benchmarks for determining adequate timely progress.

The June 13 meeting will require a status report on the development and implementation of mandatory economic dispatch between Chugach Electric Association, Matanuska Electric Association and Municipal Light & Power, and a report on how that arrangement is expected to be extended to encompass the other Railbelt utilities. The commission will be seeking specific dates and benchmarks. Economic dispatch entails the continuous use of the cheapest available electrical generation.

The June 27 meeting will require a status report on the adoption of mandatory electric utility standards that include standards for financial obligations and cyber security, and the specification of enforcement mechanisms. The report must also address the question adopting the reliability standards as regulations.

- ALAN BAILEY