Related Files
Status
The drafting team will review all responses received during the comment period and determine the next steps of the project.
Background
Reliability
Standard VAR-002-4.1 requires, among other things, Generator Operators (GOP) to
ensure generators provide reactive support and voltage control, within
generating Facility capabilities, in order to protect equipment and maintain
reliable operation of the Interconnection. For dispersed power producing
resources, it is not clear if a GOP is required to notify the Transmission
Operator (TOP) for the status change of a voltage controlling device on an
individual generating unit within a Facility comprised of numerous resources.
NERC Project 2014-01 Standards Applicability for Dispersed Generation Resources
revised VAR-002, Requirement R4, to clarify that it is not applicable to
individual generating units of dispersed power producing resources. At the
time, the IRPTF did not identify any reason why Requirement R3 (i.e., “status
change”) should be treated differently than Requirement R4.
The
NERC IRPTF undertook an effort to perform a comprehensive review of all NERC
Reliability Standards to determine if there were any potential gaps or
improvements. The IRPTF identified several issues as part of this effort and
documented its findings and recommendations in a white paper (see supporting
documents) approved by the Operating Committee. Among the findings noted in the
white paper, the IRPTF identified issues with VAR-002-4.1 that should be
addressed through the standards development process.
The
SAR was endorsed by the Reliability, Security, and Technology Committee (RSTC)
on June 10, 2020 and accepted by the SC on January 20,
2021.
Standard(s) Affected
– VAR-002-4.1
Purpose/Industry Need
To
clarify VAR-002-4.1, Requirement R3, in regards to whether the GOP of a
dispersed power resource must notify its associated TOP upon a status change of
a voltage controlling device on an individual generating unit; for example, if
a single inverter goes offline in a solar photo-voltaic (PV) Facility.
