PSC-40-15-00011-P Proposed Public Policy Transmission Needs/Public Policy Requirements, As Defined Under the NYISO Tariff

10/7/15 N.Y. St. Reg. PSC-40-15-00011-P

NEW YORK STATE REGISTER

VOLUME XXXVII, ISSUE 40

October 07, 2015

RULE MAKING ACTIVITIES

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

PROPOSED RULE MAKING

NO HEARING(S) SCHEDULED

 

I.D No. PSC-40-15-00011-P

Proposed Public Policy Transmission Needs/Public Policy Requirements, As Defined Under the NYISO Tariff

PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE State Administrative Procedure Act, NOTICE is hereby given of the following proposed rule:

Proposed Action:

The Commission is considering whether to adopt, modify, or reject, in whole or in part, certain proposals to relieve congestion between Upstate and Downstate New York to be transmission needs driven by Public Policy Requirements.

Statutory authority:

Public Service Law, sections 4(1), 5(1)(b), (2), 65(1), 66(1), (2) and (5)

Subject:

Proposed Public Policy Transmission Needs/Public Policy Requirements, as defined under the NYISO tariff.

Purpose:

To ensure that the bulk electric transmission system is sufficient to serve the public.

Substance of proposed rule:

The Public Service Commission (Commission) is considering proposed Public Policy Transmission Needs/Public Policy Requirements, as defined in the New York Independent System Operator, Inc.’s (NYISO) Open Access Transmission Tariff (Attachment Y), which were submitted by the NYISO on October 3, 2014. Some of the documents provided by the NYISO and posted on the Commission’s website in Case 14-E-0454 include proposals that the persistent transmission congestion that exists at the Central East and Upstate New York/Southeast New York (UPNY/SENY) electrical interfaces being considered in the Commission’s AC Transmission Proceedings (Cases 12-T-0502, 13-E-0488, 13-T-0454, 13-T-0455, 13-T-0456, 13-M-0457 and 13-T-0461) be designated a transmission need driven by Public Policy Requirements. More specifically, Staff of the Department of Public Service in its "Motion of DPS Trial Staff for Commission to Declare a Public Policy Need & Take Further Action Regarding Alternating Current Transmission Proposals" dated September 22, 2015 and filed in the AC Transmission Proceedings has made a proposal that the Commission make a finding and determination that there is a transmission need driven by Public Policy Requirements for a specific portfolio of projects designed to address Central East and UPNY/SENY congestion identified as follows:

SEGMENT A

Edic/Marcy to New Scotland; Princetown to Rotterdam

Construction of a new 345 kV line from Edic or Marcy to New Scotland on existing right-of-way (primarily using Edic to Rotterdam right-of-way west of Princetown); construction of two new 345 kV lines or two new 230 kV lines from Princetown to Rotterdam on existing Edic to Rotterdam right-of-way; decommissioning of two 230 kV lines from Edic to Rotterdam; related switching or substation work at Edic or Marcy, Princetown, Rotterdam, and New Scotland.

SEGMENT B

Knickerbocker to Pleasant Valley

Construction of a new double circuit 345 kV/115 kV line from Knickerbocker to Churchtown on existing Greenbush to Pleasant Valley right-of-way; construction of a new double circuit 345 kV/115 kV line or triple circuit 345 kV/115 kV/115 kV line from Churchtown to Pleasant Valley on existing Greenbush to Pleasant Valley right-of-way; decommissioning of a double-circuit 115 kV line from Knickerbocker to Churchtown; decommissioning of one or two double-circuit 115 kV lines from Knickerbocker to Pleasant Valley; related switching or substation work at Greenbush, Knickerbocker, Churchtown and Pleasant Valley.

Upgrades to the Rock Tavern Substation

New line traps, relays, potential transformer upgrades, switch upgrades, system control upgrades and the installation of data acquisition measuring equipment and control wire needed to handle higher line currents that will result as a consequence of the new Edic/Marcy to New Scotland; Princetown to Rotterdam and Knickerbocker to Pleasant Valley lines.

Shoemaker to Sugarloaf

Construction of a new double circuit 138 kV line from Shoemaker to Sugarloaf on existing Shoemaker to Sugarloaf right-of-way; decommissioning of a double circuit 69 kV line from Shoemaker to Sugarloaf; related switching or substation work at Shoemaker, Hartley, South Goshen, Chester, and Sugarloaf.

In accordance with its Policy Statement issued in Case 14-E-0068 on August 15, 2014, the Commission seeks comments on whether the proposals described above should be identified as Public Policy Transmission Needs/Public Policy Requirements that may drive the need for transmission and should be referred to the NYISO to solicit and evaluate potential solutions.

The Commission may address other related matters, including but not limited to, whether the Commission should provide evaluation criteria to the NYISO or require the NYISO to perform specific analyses as part of its project review process, or whether any proposed Public Policy Transmission Needs/Public Policy Requirements should be addressed by transmission or non-transmission solutions. The Commission may also prescribe a cost allocation methodology associated with any identified Public Policy Transmission Needs/Public Policy Requirements. The Commission may approve, modify, or reject, in whole or in part, the relief proposed.

Text of proposed rule and any required statements and analyses may be obtained by filing a Document Request Form (F-96) located on our website http://www.dps.ny.gov/f96dir.htm. For questions, contact:

Elaine Agresta, Public Service Commission, 3 Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223-1350, [phone], email: [e-mail]

Data, views or arguments may be submitted to:

Kathleen H. Burgess, Secretary, Public Service Commission, 3 Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223-1350, [phone], email: [e-mail]

Public comment will be received until:

45 days after publication of this notice.

Regulatory Impact Statement, Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, Rural Area Flexibility Analysis and Job Impact Statement

Statements and analyses are not submitted with this notice because the proposed rule is within the definition contained in section 102(2)(a)(ii) of the State Administrative Procedure Act.

(12-T-0502SP5)