Functions of the Planning Sub-Committee
The activities and functions of the Planning Subcommittee (PSC) are contained in the SAPP Inter Utility Memorandum of Understanding. Some of the issues include but not limited to the following:
- Establishing and updating common planning and reliability standards, which have an impact on the SAPP.
- Based on individual Member's plans, reviewing, every two years, an overall integrated generation and transmission plan to highlight the benefits and opportunities for cost savings that can be derived by the Members from the coordination of activities. The Integrated generation and transmission plan shall:
- Take into account the forecasted demand and energy consumption in each Member's system, including Demand Side Management.
- Indicate the anticipated sales and purchases by each Member.
- Contain the characteristics, location and commissioning dates of new generating units and new transmission facilities, which are planned in each Member's system, when such facilities have a significant impact on the interconnected system.
- Contain the characteristics, location and commissioning dates of new telecommunication, tele control and supervisory facilities, which are planned in each Member's system, when such facilities have a significant impact on the operation of the interconnected system.
- Identify and record new generation, transmission, telecommunication or telecontrol facilities to be installed in the systems of Members and endeavour to identify and record new generation, transmission, telecommunication or telecontrol facilities to be installed in the systems of Non-Members.
- Be purely indicative and shall not create an obligation upon the Members to comply.
- Evaluation of software and other tools which will enhance the value of planning activities such as load forecasting, the determination of planning or reliability standards, cost-benefit analysis or system studies and submission of proposals to the Management Committee.
- Submission of proposals to the Management Committee regarding new Service Schedules, revision as necessary of existing Service Schedules.
- Specifying the reliability standards that shall be used to determine the Accredited Capacity Obligation of each Operating Member.
- Specifying compliance criteria, which will enable each Operating Member to comply with its Accredited Capacity Obligation.
- Assessing the benefits attributable to each Operating Member resulting from the installation of protection relays, control equipment or any system study,
- Improvement or facility required for the satisfactory operation of the interconnected system. Recommending to the Management Committee regarding the financial contribution of each Operating Member to the costs of such improvements.
- Determining the transfer capability limits between systems on an annual basis or as and when required to enable the Operating Sub-Committee to prepare detailed Operating Procedures.
- Identification of specific reliability problems and recommending the generation or transmission additions or changes required to eliminate them.
- Assess the capacities of transmission plant in the system of Operating Members for the purposes of calculating wheeling rates and review these on an annual basis.