Hybrid Resources; Notice Inviting Post-Technical Conference Comments, 49647-49648 [2020-17825]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 158 (Friday, August 14, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49647-49648]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-17825]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. AD20-9-000]


Hybrid Resources; Notice Inviting Post-Technical Conference 
Comments

    On July 23, 2020, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) 
staff convened a technical conference to discuss technical and market 
issues prompted by growing interest in hybrid resources.
    All interested persons are invited to file post-technical 
conference comments to address issues raised during the technical 
conference and identified in the Supplemental Notice of Technical 
Conference issued July 13, 2020. For reference, the questions included 
in the Supplemental Notice are included below. Commenters need not 
answer all of the questions, but commenters are encouraged to organize 
responses using the numbering and order in the below questions. 
Commenters are also invited to reference material previously filed in 
this docket but are encouraged to avoid repetition or replication of 
previous material. Comments must be submitted on or before 45 days from 
the date of this Notice.
    Comments may be filed electronically via the internet. See 18 CFR 
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's website 
https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. For assistance, please 
contact FERC Online Support at [email protected] or toll free 
at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, (202) 502-8659. Although the Commission 
strongly encourages electronic filing, documents may also be paper-
filed. To paper-file, mail an original and five copies to: Kimberly D. 
Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street 
NE, Washington, DC 20426.

Questions

    1. While this conference uses the term hybrid resources to refer to 
resources consisting of a generation resource and an electric storage 
resource paired together, we recognize that these resources can be 
configured differently, from the generation resource and energy storage 
resource being located at the same facility but operating separately 
(``co-located'') to the generating facility and energy storage facility 
operating as one ``hybrid'' resource. How are these two terms used in 
the industry? What configurations are most common, and are there new 
configurations emerging?
    2. What are some of the indicators of increasing interest by 
developers in hybrid resources? Where and in what circumstances does 
interest in hybrid resources appear to be greater? Approximately what 
percentage of interconnection requests for resources in interconnection 
queues are composed of hybrid resources? Has there been an increase in 
requests by hybrid resource developers to participate in energy, 
capacity and ancillary services markets operated by RTOs/ISOs?
    3. How have the economics underlying hybrid technologies changed 
over the last three to five years? What future trends do you anticipate 
in this regard? Given these anticipated future trends, please comment 
on how you anticipate hybrid resources might be configured going 
forward. How could these changes impact interconnection requests?
    4. We understand that increasing numbers of hybrid resources are 
participating as a single resource in energy, capacity and ancillary 
services markets operated by RTOs/ISOs. What are the advantages to the 
hybrid resource participating as a single resource? What are the 
disadvantages?
    5. What factors are driving developers' decisions in how to 
configure hybrid resources? For example, what factors do developers 
consider when deciding to either charge the storage component of the 
hybrid resource solely from a co-located generation resource or to 
charge from the grid? In addition, alternating current coupling and 
direct current coupling are two technical options for interconnection 
of hybrid or co-located resources. What factors influence developers to 
choose one form of coupling over another?
    6. How can an interconnection customer in your region propose to 
interconnect a resource composed of two or more resource types, 
operated as a single resource at a single point of interconnection? 
What are the advantages and disadvantages of pairing resource types 
into a single interconnection request?
    7. What are the benefits and challenges of adding an energy storage 
resource to an existing generation resource? What are the benefits and 
challenges of adding an energy storage resource to an existing 
interconnection request that is already in an interconnection queue? 
What additional studies would be required to do this, and would the 
process be the same or different depending on whether the addition is 
to an existing generation resource or to an existing interconnection 
request? Also, with respect to the addition of an energy storage 
resource to an existing generation resource, would the new storage 
resource be subject to the full interconnection study process, and, if 
so, would any aspect of the request or study process differ from a 
traditional interconnection request for a new generating facility? 
Under what circumstances would the addition of an energy storage 
resource to an existing interconnection request be considered a 
material modification that would require the interconnection customer 
to go through the interconnection process again or obtain a new queue 
position? Please describe how this request would be processed.
    8. How is the maximum output of a hybrid resource calculated 
currently? How is the interconnection service request sized? For 
example, is it sized to the combined maximum output of each of the 
hybrid components, limited to a level of output that corresponds to how 
the resource is expected to operate, or some other amount?

[[Page 49648]]

    9. If a hybrid resource opts not to be studied to charge from the 
grid, is the resource allowed to later change its decision? If so, is 
this change or possibility reflected in an interconnection agreement? 
If so, how? If a hybrid resource seeks to make this type of change, is 
there a requirement that the resource undergo an additional study or 
studies?
    10. Are hybrid resources able to participate in the energy, 
capacity and ancillary services markets operated by RTOs/ISOs using 
existing frameworks or market rules? If so, how do they participate? 
Are market rule changes needed to enable the participation of hybrid 
resources? Are RTOs/ISOs exploring market rule changes, and if so, what 
changes are they pursuing?
    11. Hybrid resources consisting of more than one technology type 
could potentially participate in the market as the separate component 
parts, or as a single integrated hybrid resource. Should hybrid 
resources have a choice of whether to participate in the energy, 
capacity and ancillary services markets operated by RTOs/ISOs as each 
of the resource types or as a single resource type? If so, why is this 
flexibility important?
    12. Does operating a hybrid resource as separate components (i.e., 
co-located) rather than as a single integrated resource create 
challenges for RTOs/ISOs in accurately modeling whether hybrid 
resources will provide operating reserves? If so, is this problem 
addressed if the resource operates as a single integrated hybrid 
resource?
    13. What is the current ability of RTOs/ISOs to model hybrid 
resources? Is there a preferred approach?
    14. Hybrid resources with certain characteristics may be able to 
provide essential reliability services. For example, when configured 
with advanced controls, these resources may be able to provide fast 
frequency response and dynamic voltage regulation. What considerations 
(e.g., models, tools, training) are needed to improve planning and 
operations models and utility practices to account for the various 
controlled operating modes of hybrid and co-located resources?
    15. In some cases, RTOs/ISOs require variable energy resources to 
provide data and forecasts of resource production based on weather and 
other factors. Would the same requirements apply to hybrid resources 
with a variable energy resource component, or how may these 
requirements differ?
    16. Are existing dispatch systems in the RTOs/ISOs capable of 
dispatching hybrid resources as a single resource? What are the 
challenges and/or limitations of such dispatch?
    17. What are the technical considerations regarding state of charge 
of the electric storage component of hybrid resources? Are there 
different factors pertaining to state of charge that are dependent on 
whether the resource is co-located or is operates as a single 
integrated hybrid resource?
    18. Do existing RTO/ISO market power mitigation rules appropriately 
recognize the particular operating characteristics of hybrid resources?
    19. Are there established best practices for metering a hybrid 
resource for participation in wholesale markets? For example, with one 
meter, or with multiple meters that provide visibility into individual 
subcomponents or inverters, or some other configuration?
    20. What are any other potential implications, advantages, and 
concerns for RTOs/ISOs regarding hybrid resources?
    21. How do RTOs/ISOs currently calculate the capacity value of 
resources? Would those methods accommodate the characteristics of 
hybrid resources, or would new or modified methods be needed?
    22. If new or modified methods are needed, how should the capacity 
value, including any seasonal variations, be determined for hybrid 
resources?
    23. If an interconnection customer proposes to add an additional 
resource to an already existing resource or an existing interconnection 
request, should the capacity value of the existing resource or the 
existing interconnection request be modified? Why or why not? What 
options exist for determining such changes to capacity value?
    24. What is the status of efforts in the RTOs/ISOs to define 
Effective Load Carrying Capability for hybrid resources?
    For more information about this Notice, please contact: Kaitlin 
Johnson (Technical Information), Office of Energy Policy and 
Innovation, (202) 502-8542, [email protected].

    Dated: August 10, 2020.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-17825 Filed 8-13-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P