Executive Summary

Another long TAC (like last month), but this one was interesting all the way through.  The forces lined up against NPRR1092(Reduce RUC Offer Floor and remove RUC Opt Out) put up an impressive goal line stand and got the issue tabled for a workshop on March 10th.  The next PUC open meeting will likely address/resolve this issue.  Firm Fuel Supply Service got a little further along with the passage of NPRR1120 (much still to be decided in the RFP).  OBDRR039(remove Firm Fuel Supply MWs from ORDC adder calculation) was also passed.  There was a lot of discussion on Planning Guide Revision Request 095 (establish minimum deliverability criteria).  Part of it passed, but the battery duration issue remains unresolved.  And there were some other updates that are discussed below.

Agenda

• ERCOT Meeting Page

Video

• Link to video

Notes

• Review of ERCOT Market Impact Statements and ERCOT Opinions – ERCOT approved of all NPRRs.
• NPRR1092(Reduce RUC Offer Floor and remove RUC Opt Out)- This was tabled and there will be a workshop specifically on this issue.  Shell (Resmi Surendran) -54:30- talked through their comments (basically that $75/MWh offer floor removes market incentive signals, and if the Independent Market Monitor feels that the $1500/MWh offer floor is being used to economically withhold, they should just report that behavior to the PUC and get it shut down.)  London Economics (Julia Frayer) also presented their analysis -1:13:00- which was essentially a backcast that demonstrated that lowering the RUC offer floor would lower the energy price in some circumstances.  Further debate was postponed to the workshop, which will likely be scheduled for the afternoon of March 10th.    
• NPRR1120(Firm Fuel Supply Service) ERCOT/STEC/Demand Control2/LCRA comments were discussed -1:45:00- and the LCRA comments (which included the ERCOT/STEC/Demand Control 2 Comments) were approved.
• OBDRR039(Remove deployed Firm Fuel HSLs from ORDC reserves) – This OBDRR, which was inspired by the Independent Market Monitor comments on NPRR1120(Firm Fuel Supply Service), was passed, though there was some opposition.  The basic idea is that firm fuel supply service deployments -if they are only for dual fuel resources and not coal or nuclear-  should not depress prices for coal and nuclear; this would help mitigate any price suppression that they might cause.
• PGRR095(establish minimum deliverability criteria) – This Planning Guide Revision Request (PGRR) would ensure that a planning study would not consider a congestion problem “solved” if that solution required a dispatchable resource to be dispatched below a certain output threshold. Discussion started at 2:42:00 and went on for a little over an hour.  There was some confusion about what the “minimum duration threshold” referenced in the PGRR actually meant. (It means that if an ESR meets that duration threshold it cannot be dispatched below its output threshold to resolve a congestion problem in a planning study.)  The PGRR was passed with an output threshold of 100% and an undefined battery duration threshold.
• Securitization Update -4:12:00- ERCOT (Mark Ruane) gave an update on securitization M and N 
  • There will be two cleanup NPRRs to address the following issues with securitization:
    • In N there is new language to calculate escrow requirements for new market entrants
    • Provides clarification that escrow deposit funds must go to the correct account or else that will be a payment default.
    • In N there will be a process for an LSE to return proceeds due to an outcome of a judicial review of pricing, etc.
  • Timeline highlights
    • Initial N escrow deposit estimates May 2022
    • N Escrow deposit due late May 2022
    • N funds disbursement begins June 2022
    • N invoicing begins July 2022
• Single Model for batteries
  • Current single model for Energy Storage Resources (ESRs) were built upon the top of Real-Time Co-optimization (RTC) protocols.
  • Maybe single model sFirm Fuel Supply Service (NPRR1120)hould go before RTC, which might push RTC out even further.  Would require rewriting (unbundling from RTC) of single model protocols.
• Load Resource Issues Task Force
  • Have received a lot of feedback
  • John Bernecker will be ERCOT lead.
  • Will share list of issues by mid March.
• TNMP(Andrea Couch) gave an update -4:27:00- on the issue where many (~143,000) of their smart meters use the AT&T 3G network and AT&T has notified them that they are turning off that network as soon as February 2022.  They are ordering new meters and will install them as quickly as possible.
• ERCOT gave an update on in-person meetings – They will start at the March TAC meeting and all meetings afterwards will have an in-person option.

Discussed Issues

• NPRR1092(Reduce RUC Offer Floor and Remove RUC OPT OUT) 
• NPRR1120(Firm Fuel Supply Service) 
• OBDRR039(Remove deployed Firm Fuel Supply Service High Limits from ORDC adder calculation, thus raising ORDC adders)
• PGRR095(establish minimum deliverability criteria)
• Securitization M
• Securitization N
• Single Model for Batteries
• Real Time Co-optimization
• Load Issues Task Force