N-17Transition Plan and IT, OT & Cybersecurity Roadmap - IESO
6 passages
Under the authority of Nova Scotia's More Access to Energy Act (2024) (hereafter called 'the Act'), the newly established IESO Nova Scotia is charged with assuming key system-operator functions currently held by Nova Scotia Power (NSP). Tr...
AI summary The IESO Nova Scotia is transitioning key system-operator functions from Nova Scotia Power (NSP) in two phases. Phase 1, Transmission Planning & Procurement, is set for Winter 2025/26, and Phase 2, Dispatching & Control, is targeted for Spring 2027. The IESO is seeking proposals for Phase 2 transition planning, including IT/OT/Cyber security roadmaps and implementation plans to ensure system reliability and regulatory compliance.
- A. A clear definition of the technology capabilities required by IESO Nova Scotia to deliver the Phase 2 dispatching and control functions enabled by the Act, including near-term operational planning, reliable system operations (includin...
AI summary The document outlines the scope of work for Phase 2 dispatching and control functions under the Act, focusing on technology capabilities, strategic options, and a roadmap for implementation. It emphasizes the need to assess existing NSP assets, identify integration requirements, and evaluate the feasibility of meeting the April 2027 delivery date.
Anticipated Work • Develop 4-5 options for the delivery of Phase 2 dispatching and control functions including near-term operational planning, reliable system operations (real-time monitoring of the power system and contingency analysis) a...
AI summary The anticipated work involves developing 4-5 options for Phase 2 dispatching and control functions, including operational planning, system reliability, and efficient generation dispatch in Nova Scotia. The analysis will compare leveraging existing facilities, building new ones, shared services, and inter-regional collaboration, evaluating each option's pros, cons, timelines, costs, and system reliability.
Expected Deliverables - A report with details of the identified options, pros and cons, timelines, costs, extent to which IESO Nova Scotia processes and systems will be separated from or dependent upon NSP and additional other relevant inf...
AI summary The deliverables include a report on options for IESO Nova Scotia, collaboration with NSP, scalability considerations, back office technology changes, real-time operations, and a transition plan and roadmap for future development stages.
Additional Context Phase 1 Transition (system planning, generation interconnection planning and energy procurement) is planned to take place on December 1, 2025. Phase 1 will focus on the transfer of transmission planning and procurement r...
AI summary The document outlines the transition of electricity system planning and operations from Nova Scotia Power (NSP) to the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) in two phases. Phase 1, set for December 2025, involves transmission planning and procurement functions, while Phase 2, planned for Q2 2027, includes real-time dispatch operations. The transition considers Nova Scotia’s unique energy landscape and challenges, including cybersecurity recovery and limited interconnectivity.
Innovation and Fit for Purpose Describe how your proposed solution is right-sized for the Nova Scotia context, emphasizing scalability, cost efficiency, and practical implementation given the province's scale and available resources. Descr...
AI summary The text requests a description of a proposed solution's fit for the Nova Scotia context, emphasizing scalability, cost efficiency, and practical implementation, and how it will help the IESO deliver its desired outcomes and accelerate implementation.
N-18Response to Undertakings - Redacted
29 passages
Interregional Transfer Capability Study Canadian Analysis Strengthening Reliability Through the Energy Transformation Final Report
AI summary This document presents the final report of an interregional transfer capability study focused on strengthening reliability through energy transformation in Canada.
Electricity is a key component of the fabric of modern society and the Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) Enterprise serves to strengthen that fabric. The vision for the ERO Enterprise, which is comprised of NERC and the six Regional...
AI summary The Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) Enterprise, composed of NERC and six Regional Entities, aims to ensure a reliable, resilient, and secure North American Bulk Power System (BPS). The ERO's mission is to reduce risks to grid reliability and security, supporting the needs of nearly 400 million North American citizens.
Executive Summary The North American grid is a complex machine that has evolved over many decades; it integrates a network of generation, transmission, and distribution systems across vast geographic areas. As a result of the changing reso...
AI summary The North American grid is a complex system that requires a strong, flexible, and resilient transmission network to meet customer demand, especially with changing resource mixes and extreme weather. Canadian systems are vital to the North American bulk power system, and NERC's analysis supports the reinforcement and expansion of inter-regional transmission to ensure reliability, aligning with Canada's Clean Electricity Strategy.
In Scope - A common modeling approach to study the North American grid independently and transparently - Evaluation of the impact of extreme weather events on hourly energy adequacy using the calculated current transfer capability and 10-y...
AI summary The scope includes modeling the North American grid, evaluating impacts of extreme weather on energy adequacy, identifying transfer capability to address energy deficits, and consulting with industry, with reliability as the sole focus.
A Critical Study: Scope and Focus NERC assessment[s](#page-54-6) 8 identified the need for more transmission throughout North America and a strategically planned resource mix[9](#page-54-7) to address these changes and support the ongoing...
AI summary The text discusses the need for enhanced transmission infrastructure and a strategically planned resource mix to support electrification and address challenges from extreme weather. It emphasizes the importance of energy reliability and adequacy, referencing NERC assessments and the Canadian Analysis.
Executive Summary informed planning at a broad interregional level to support future grid reliability and resilience. A common approach, consistent assumptions, and coordinated results were key elements of the Canadian Analysis. The Canadi...
AI summary The Canadian Analysis evaluates transmission transfer capability and energy margin across Canadian regions, emphasizing the need for interregional coordination to improve grid reliability. It does not provide economic or policy assessments, nor does it endorse specific projects or replace existing transmission planning efforts. The study highlights opportunities for optimizing reserve use and the importance of integrated planning.
Geography, Climate, and System Characteristics Most provinces have few major load centers, most of which are near the southern border, with vast and sparsely populated areas further north. Various options must be carefully weighed before d...
AI summary The text discusses the geographical and climatic challenges faced by Canadian provinces, particularly in relation to extreme cold weather events and the impact on energy systems. It highlights the need for careful consideration when planning new transmission lines and the reliance on hydro resources in certain provinces. References are made to various studies and reports, including those from NERC and the Alberta MSA.
Identified Transfer Capability Additions in the Context of Reliability This study identified additions to transfer capability that could mitigate potential grid reliability risks under the most challenging conditions. These additions will...
AI summary This study identifies transfer capability additions that could mitigate grid reliability risks under extreme conditions. It evaluates the impact of these additions on energy adequacy and reserve optimization, focusing solely on reliability. The analysis uses historical weather data applied to 2033 load and resource conditions and excludes economic modeling. The findings suggest potential improvements to energy adequacy through enhanced transfer capabilities.
Key Findings–Energy Margin Analysis (2033) - Canadian systems were found to be increasingly vulnerable during extreme weather due to anticipated load increases and the changing resource mix. Transmission limitations, and potential for ener...
AI summary Canadian energy systems face increased vulnerability during extreme weather due to load increases and resource mix changes. Transmission limitations and energy shortages were identified across multiple regions, with Nova Scotia and Québec facing significant deficits. Enhancing transfer capability, especially between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, could address these issues.
Chapter 1: Overview of Scope and Terminology This study, which follows the ITCS,[24](#page-64-2) was requested by Canadian government entities and industry leaders and provides valuable insights regarding potential risks to their systems d...
AI summary This chapter outlines the Canadian Analysis, a comprehensive study requested by Canadian government entities and industry leaders to assess transfer capabilities between TPRs and identify potential energy deficits during extreme events. The study uses historical data and modeling approaches to evaluate reliability and inform future planning.
Transfer Capability Additions to Strengthen Reliability Reliability is a broad concept, and significant aspects of required reliability are defined by NERC Reliability Standards and continually implemented through entity planning, investme...
AI summary The document discusses the importance of transfer capability additions to strengthen system reliability, referencing NERC standards and the Canadian Analysis. It highlights the need to improve energy delivery under extreme conditions and outlines NERC's approach to applying consistent criteria for identifying transfer capability additions.
ts, which may take the form of (but are not limited to) new ac or dc transmission facilities, upgrades to enable higher ratings, grid-enhancing technologies, [34](#page-71-1) or a combination thereof. The Canadian Analysis considered a ran...
AI summary The study focuses on transmission capability analysis, using steady-state power flow and contingency scenarios, while acknowledging limitations such as the exclusion of short-circuit and stability analyses. It also notes that deterministic energy assessments were used for extreme weather conditions rather than probabilistic methods.
Contingencies The transfer analysis simulated contingencies, namely the unplanned outage of system elements, to ensure that the system would remain reliable during the energy transfer. The following NERC Reliability Standard TPL-001-5.1[38...
AI summary The transfer analysis simulated unplanned outages of system elements to ensure system reliability during energy transfer. NERC Reliability Standard TPL-001-5.1 was used, focusing on P1 contingencies such as loss of generators, transmission lines, and transformers operating at 100 kV or above.
Figure 4.1: Two-Pronged Approach for Historical Weather Data Note: The hourly energy margin analysis applied historical weather year data to simulate future grid operations under similar conditions but did not simulate historical operation...
AI summary This section discusses a two-pronged approach using historical weather data to evaluate future grid operations under extreme weather conditions. It highlights the use of 12 weather years to simulate load and resource availability, noting that the selected years do not represent all possible extreme weather scenarios.
Thermal Generator Outage Modeling Thermal generators were aggregated by TPR and fuel type to account for daily fluctuations in available capacity. Thermal capacity was aggregated by up to eight fuel types in each TPR, resulting in 290 uniq...
AI summary Thermal generator outages are modeled by aggregating generators by TPR and fuel type to reflect daily fluctuations in capacity. Data from the GADS system and utility reports are used to analyze forced and planned outages, showing seasonal and daily variations. Unlike the U.S., Canadian systems show no significant correlation between outages and cold temperatures, but some regions face reliability risks with simultaneous outages.
Resource Scheduling Method The hourly energy margin is then used to model the available energy across the entire North American BPS for all 12 weather years. This is done to consider the energy adequacy in each TPR, with and without transf...
AI summary The resource scheduling method models hourly energy margins across North American BPS for 12 weather years, focusing on energy adequacy within and between TPRs. It prioritizes reliability by scheduling resources within a TPR before relying on transfers, and uses scarcity weighting factors to drive dispatch decisions based on surplus or scarcity rather than cost.
Margin Levels Margins were applied to each TPR's hourly load to account for study uncertainty and operational practices. Unlike a Planning Reserve Margin, which is often denoted in terms of peak demand, these margins are applied to all hou...
AI summary Margin levels are applied to each TPR's hourly load to account for uncertainty and operational practices. The tight margin level is set at 10% of the TPR's load to determine when energy imports are needed, while the minimum margin level is set at 3% to determine when load reduction may occur if resources are unavailable. The Advisory Group endorsed these levels after discussions.
Metrics Three important points can be considered in [Figure 5.4](#page-99-0) above: • Point 1 indicates that a TPR, in isolation, is below the tight margin level but there is sufficient transfer capability to import energy from its neighbo...
AI summary The text discusses three key points related to transmission planning regions (TPRs) and their margins. It explains interchange hours, tight margin hours, and resource deficiency hours, highlighting how transfer capability and load management affect system reliability and energy availability.
Criteria The following criteria[75](#page-103-2) were applied when finalizing transfer capability additions: - Additions were made to maintain a 3% minimum margin level[76](#page-103-3) if possible. - Where practical, all resource deficien...
AI summary The criteria for adding transfer capability focus on maintaining a 3% minimum margin level, mitigating resource deficiency hours above 300 MW, and ensuring additions are rounded to the nearest 100 MW. These additions aim to improve reliability by reducing resource deficiency, with specific thresholds for effectiveness.
2024 Energy Margin Analysis Results The results of the energy margin analysis for the 2024 case are summarized in Table 6.1 , which provides an overview of the maximum resource deficiencies observed across various TPRs and weather years. T...
AI summary The 2024 Energy Margin Analysis Results summarize the maximum resource deficiencies observed across various TPRs and weather years, highlighting winter and summer shortfalls. The analysis considers resource sharing between TPRs based on availability and transfer capabilities.
The 2024 case was used for benchmarking, but the simulations did not attempt to recreate actual operations. is largely capable of maintaining energy adequacy across diverse scenarios except under the most challenging conditions. The 2024 c...
AI summary The 2024 case serves as a benchmark for evaluating future energy adequacy, particularly in the 2033 scenario. Simulations applied historical weather conditions to the 2024 resource mix, revealing insights into potential impacts of future changes in resource mixes, load growth, and extreme weather events. Tables 6.2 and 6.3 quantify resource deficiencies in terms of energy (GWh) and hours of deficiency.
2033 Energy Margin Analysis Results The 2033 case analysis mirrors the 2024 analysis but accounts for continued load growth, retirements, and new resource additions. The assumptions for load growth, retirements, and resource additions were...
AI summary The 2033 Energy Margin Analysis builds on the 2024 analysis, factoring in continued load growth, retirements, and new resources. Projections from the 2023 LTRA inform the assumptions. Table 6.4 outlines maximum resource deficiencies across TPRs and weather years, with purple highlighting indicating deficiencies in both summer and winter.
In the 2033 case, six out of eight TPRs are affected by resource deficiencies in at least one weather year and, in many cases, across multiple weather years. Three of these TPRs had no deficiencies in the 2024 case. Similar to the 2024 res...
AI summary In the 2033 case, six out of eight TPRs experience resource deficiencies across multiple weather years, unlike the 2024 case where three TPRs had no deficiencies. Tables 6.5 and 6.6 provide quantitative data on the energy basis (GWh) and duration (hours) of these deficiencies.
6% Minimum Margin Level Sensitivity In this sensitivity analysis, the minimum margin level was increased from 3% to 6%, effectively reducing the surplus energy in all TPRs simultaneously. This adjustment increased the size, frequency, and...
AI summary This sensitivity analysis increases the minimum margin level from 3% to 6%, leading to greater resource deficiencies in six TPRs. The adjustment affects the size, frequency, and duration of deficiencies, as well as the number of TPRs impacted and the magnitude of transfer additions evaluated.
Resource Deficiency Events Section - The summary statistics for each day of resource deficiency in the base 2033 case are provided if applicable. - Daily peak demand represents the day's highest load, regardless of when it occurs. Resource...
AI summary This section discusses resource deficiency events in the base 2033 case, providing summary statistics for each day of resource deficiency. It explains that daily peak demand is the highest load of the day, and resource deficiency hours can occur before or after the peak due to variable renewable and energy-limited resources.
Capacity and Load Data (in MW) MISO-W to Manitoba 0 801 N/A N/A N/A Saskatchewan to Manitoba 106 473 N/A N/A N/A Total Import Interface Limit 1,961 2,483 Total Import Interface Limit + dc-only Interfaces Limit 1,961 2,483 (as % of 2033 Sea...
AI summary The document presents capacity and load data, including import interface limits, energy adequacy by iteration, and resource type details for 2024 and 2033. It outlines thermal, hydro, and variable renewable resources, along with peak demand figures for summer and winter.
Capacity and Load Data (in MW) Total Import Interface Limit 170 100 500 670 600 Total Import Interface Limit + dc-only Interfaces Limit 170 100 500 670 600 (as % of 2033 Seasonal Peak) 12% 4% 45% 22% Energy Adequacy by Iteration Tight Reso...
AI summary The table presents capacity and load data, including import interface limits and energy adequacy by iteration, showing decreasing resource deficiencies across iterations, with the final iteration indicating no deficiency.
While this study represents a pioneering and comprehensive effort to evaluate transfer capability into and within Canada and its impact on energy adequacy, it also had limitations. These factors highlight the need for additional work to bu...
AI summary This study evaluates transfer capability within Canada and its impact on energy adequacy but acknowledges limitations. It outlines future work areas, including exploring resource mixes, expanding weather datasets, and evaluating stability during extreme weather events.
This section provides additional iteration-specific detail for each province with identified resource deficiencies.
AI summary This section provides additional iteration-specific detail for each province with identified resource deficiencies.