NOGRR258  Related to NPRR1198, Congestion Mitigation Using Topology Reconfigurations

This Nodal Operating Guide Revision Request (NOGRR) proposes changes to align the Nodal Operation Guides with NPRR1198 that adds language to allow the use of Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) and Extended Action Plans (EAPs) to facilitate the market use of the ERCOT Transmission Grid. NOGRR258 also adds guardrails to ensure that topology reconfiguration requests meet basic reliability and economic criteria, and defines the process for submission, review, and approval of EAPs. This NOGRR and NPRR1198 leverage ERCOT’s existing Constraint Management Plan (CMP) process to quickly mitigate critical transmission congestion impacts by establishing a scalable process for topology reconfiguration requests that is transparent, predictable, equitable, workable, reliable, and compatible with existing planning processes. ERCOT already leverages topology optimization in the CMP processes. Since NPRR529, Congestion Management Plan was introduced in 2013 with the limitations that NPRR1198 proposes to revise, the power industry has evolved and there have been technological improvements that make transmission topology reconfigurations a powerful option to mitigate congestion beyond just use cases for which there is no feasible Security-Constrained Economic Dispatch (SCED) solution.