TOP-007-WECC-1a

WECC Standard TOP-007-WECC-1a — System Operating Limits

A. Introduction
1. Title:

System Operating Limits

2. Number:

TOP-007-WECC-1a

3. Purpose:

When actual flows on Major WECC Transfer Paths exceed System Operating
Limits (SOL), their associated schedules and actual flows are not exceeded for
longer than a specified time.

4. Applicability
4.1.

Transmission Operators for the transmission paths in the most current Table
titled “Major WECC Transfer Paths in the Bulk Electric System” provided at:
http://www.wecc.biz/Standards/Approved%20Standards/Supporting%20Tables/T
able%20Major%20Paths%204-28-08.pdf

5. Effective Date: On the first day of the first quarter, after applicable regulatory approval.
B. Requirements
R1.

When the actual power flow exceeds an SOL for a Transmission path, the Transmission
Operators shall take immediate action to reduce the actual power flow across the path such
that at no time shall the power flow for the Transmission path exceed the SOL for more than
30 minutes. [Violation Risk Factor: High] [Time Horizon: Real-time Operations]

R2.

The Transmission Operator shall not have the Net Scheduled Interchange for power flow over
an interconnection or Transmission path above the path’s SOL when the Transmission
Operator implements its real-time schedules for the next hour. For paths internal to a
Transmission Operator Area that are not scheduled, this requirement does not apply. [Violation
Risk Factor: Medium] [Time Horizon: Real-time Operations]
R2.1.

If the path SOL decreases within 20 minutes before the start of the hour, the
Transmission Operator shall adjust the Net Scheduled Interchange within 30 minutes
to the new SOL value. Net Scheduled Interchange exceeding the new SOL during
this 30-minute period will not be a violation of R2.

C. Measures
M1. Evidence that actual power flow has not exceeded the SOL for the specified time limit in R1.
M2. Evidence that Net Scheduled Interchange has not exceeded the SOL when the Transmission
Operator implements real-time schedules as required by R2.
M2.1.

Evidence that Net Scheduled Interchange was at or below the new SOL within 30minutes of when the SOL decreased.

D. Compliance
1. Compliance Monitoring Process
1.1

Compliance Monitoring Responsibility
Compliance Enforcement Authority

1.2

Compliance Monitoring Period

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WECC Standard TOP-007-WECC-1a — System Operating Limits
Compliance Enforcement Authority may use one or more of the following methods to
assess compliance:
- Self-report for each incident within three-business day
- Self-report quarterly
- Spot check audits conducted anytime with 30 days notice given to prepare
- Periodic audit as scheduled by the Compliance Enforcement Authority
- Investigations
- Other methods as provided for in the Compliance Monitoring Enforcement Program
Reset Period: One calendar month.
1.3

Data Retention
The Transmission Operators shall keep evidence for Measure M.1 through M2 for three
years plus current, or since the last audit, whichever is longer.

1.4.

Additional Compliance Information

2. Violation Severity Levels
For Requirement R1:
2.1. Lower: There shall be a Lower Level of non-compliance for Transmission Operators as
set forth in the table in Attachment 1– TOP-007-WECC-1.
2.2. Moderate: There shall be a Moderate Level of non-compliance for Transmission Operators
as set forth in the table in Attachment 1– TOP-007-WECC-1.
2.3. High: There shall be a High Level of non-compliance for Transmission Operators as set
forth in the table in Attachment 1– TOP-007-WECC-1.
2.4. Severe: There shall be a Severe Level of non-compliance for Transmission Operators as
set forth in the table in Attachment 1– TOP-007-WECC-1.
For Requirement R2:
2.1. Lower: There shall be a Lower Level of non-compliance for Transmission Operators
when the net schedule for power flow over an interconnection or Transmission path is
above the path’s SOL but is less than or equal to 105% of the path’s SOL.
2.2. Moderate: There shall be a Moderate Level of non-compliance for Transmission Operators
when the net schedule for power flow over an interconnection or Transmission path is
above 105% of the path’s SOL but less than or equal to 110% of the path’s SOL.
2.3. High: There shall be a High Level of non-compliance for Transmission Operators when
the net schedule for power flow over an interconnection or Transmission path is above
110% of the path’s SOL.
2.4

Severe: None

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WECC Standard TOP-007-WECC-1a — System Operating Limits
Version History — Shows Approval History and Summary of Changes in the Action Field
Version
1

Date
April 16, 2008

1

October 29, 2008

1

April 21, 2011

1

June 10, 2013

1a

February 6, 2014

1a

June 18, 2014

Action
Permanent Replacement Standard for
TOP-STD-007-0
Adopted by the Board of Trustees

Change Tracking

Order issued by FERC approving TOP007-WECC-1 (approval effective June
27, 2011)
Modified the VRF for Requirement R1
from "Medium" to "High" and the VRF
for Requirement R2 from "Low" to
"Medium"
Interpretation adopted by the NERC
Board of Trustees
FERC letter order approving TOP-007WECC-1a

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WECC Standard TOP-007-WECC-1a — System Operating Limits

Attachment 1 — TOP-007-WECC-1
Violation Severity Level Table
Limit exceeded for
more than 30
minutes, up to 35
minutes

Limit exceeded for
more than 35
minutes, up to 40
minutes

Limit exceeded for
more than 40
minutes, up to 45
minutes

Limit exceeded for
more than 45
minutes

greater than 0%,
up to and
including 5%

Lower

Moderate

Moderate

High

greater than 5%,
up to and
including 10%

Moderate

Moderate

High

High

greater than 10%,
up to and
including 15%

Moderate

High

High

Severe

greater than 15%,
up to and
including 20%

High

High

Severe

Severe

greater than 20%,
up to and
including 25%

High

Severe

Severe

Severe

greater than 25%

Severe

Severe

Severe

Severe

Percentage by which
SOL is exceeded*



Measured after 30 continuous minutes of actual flows in excess of SOL.

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WECC Standard TOP-007-WECC-1a — System Operating Limits

Appendix 1
Requirement Number and Text of Requirement
R1. When the actual power flow exceeds an SOL for a Transmission path, the Transmission Operators
shall take immediate action to reduce the actual power flow across the path such that at no time shall
the power flow for the Transmission path exceed the SOL for more than 30 minutes.

Question:
APS asks for clarification that the Requirement R1 applies “to Transmission Operators, as defined in the
NERC Glossary of Terms, and not to the path operators who have no compliance responsibilities under
TOP-007-WECC-1 (TOP), other than any responsibilities they may have as a Transmission Operator for
facilities in their respective Transmission Operator Areas.” (Emphasis added.)

Response:
APS’ Request is governed by the Procedures, Step 3 – Drafting Team Begins Drafting Phase and Submits
Draft Standard to WSC, at page 6, stating:
“All WECC Standards will follow a standard format that refers to the “Responsible Entities”
included in the NERC Functional Model and includes compliance measures according to the WECC
standard template.” (Emphasis added.)
The NERC Functional Model 4, in effect at the time the standard was drafted, did not include Path
Operators as an approved applicable entity; therefore, the document only applies to the stated
Transmission Operators and does not apply to Path Operators.
Neither the TOP’s predecessor document, TOP-STD-007-0, Operating Transfer Capability, nor TOP007-WECC-1, System Operating Limits, lists the Path Operator as an applicable entity. Both list the
Transmission Operator. Even though TOP-STD-007-0 referred to an Operating Agent in the column
header of its Attachment A, that reference did not impose a task or responsibility on a Path Operator nor
did its reference change the applicability of the document to any entity other than the Transmission
Operator.
During the development of TOP-STD-007-0, the drafting team acknowledged that certain tasks were
generally being performed by Path Operators; however, the Procedures prohibited assigning tasks to a
Path Operator because the Path Operator is not “included in the NERC Functional Model.”

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