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Final two participants named to Railbelt Reliability Council seats
Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
The implementation committee of the Railbelt Reliability Council has named the final two representatives, Chris Rose, executive director of the Renewable Energy Alaska Project, and Jerry Rust, former president and current special assistant to the chairman at Northwest Power Pool. Both occupy unaffiliated seats.
The RCC board has a representative from each of the six Railbelt utilities and six independent members representing other stakeholders. The Regulatory Commission of Alaska and the state’s Regulatory Affairs and Public Advocacy Section each have a non-voting seat.
The independent members include two representatives from independent power producers, one member representing consumer interests, a representative from the Alaska Energy Authority and two non-affiliated members.
The Legislature enabled formation of the RRC, an electric reliability organization, and updated the Regulatory Commission of Alaska’s authority with Senate Bill 123, passed and signed by the governor this spring.
This followed signing in December of a memorandum of understanding for formation of the RRC by the six Railbelt utilities. The RCC will mandate reliability standards, administer rules for open access to the grid, conduct Railbelt-wide system planning and investigate the economic value of security constrained economic dispatch for all or part of the system.
Next steps The implementation committee, now that it has all of its members, will develop bylaws and other foundational documents to define and stand up the RCC, the group said in a July 20 release.
“It is the goal of the RRC to then apply to become the Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) for the Railbelt electric system as defined in recent legislation, Senate Bill 123,” the group said.
“The Railbelt Reliability Council is a historic agreement and offers a chance for meaningful participation from a wide variety of stakeholders to address much-needed planning issues along the grid,” said Veri di Suvero, the consumer advocacy member of the IC’s selection committee. “The RRC will be a critical body for a region-wide approach to ensuring the best energy decisions for consumers.”
In addition to defining and enforcing electric reliability standards, coordinating joint planning through an integrated resource planning process and ensuring consistent interconnection protocols for utilities, independent power producers and other grid users, RCC will work with the RCA to develop a cost sharing methodology for assets with a regional benefit and will identify and facilitate implementation of effective ways for the Railbelt electric system to reduce electricity costs for ratepayers.
- KRISTEN NELSON
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