Find, Fix and Track Entity, Docket No. RC12-7-000 (January 31, 2012)
Reliability Standard: TOP-005-1.1a
Requirement: R1
Region: FRCC
Issue: FFT Entity self-reported a recurring issue with TOP-005-1.1a R1. In two instances, both occurring while the same system operator was on duty, FFT Entity’s plant operator informed FFT Entity’s energy control center that he needed to take the AVR to manual to perform routine maintenance (for ten and thirty minutes respectively). Both times, the energy control center failed to notify the FRCC’s RC of the change in AVR status from automatic to manual and then back to automatic.
Finding: FRCC determined that the reporting failure posed only minimal risk to BPS reliability for two reasons. First, the TOP, aware that the AVR was unavailable, maintained voltage manually. In the event of a problem, the TOP would have been able to quickly notify the RC. Second, the reporting failure occurred on units with output of less than 110 MW and 30 MVAR. FRCC noted that FFT Entity violated this Standard previously, but determined that because of the minimum level of risk created by the failure to report and the enhanced steps FFT Entity implemented in 2009 to avoid future problems, the errors merited only FFT treatment.
