The following outlines the current policy of Cleco Power LLC regarding System Impact and Facilities Studies as defined in Cleco's currently filed Open Access Transmission Tariff, OATT.
This policy shall remain in affect until such time Cleco sees fit to modify it, in a non-discriminatory fashion, due to, among other things, better accommodate the marketplace, eliminate abuses to the process, further explain/clarify the process, or reflect changes to the OATT itself. These policies only are associated with requests for transmission service and are in no way related to the system interconnection process.
Definition
As defined by the Cleco OATT itself, both a Facilities Study and System Impact Study are engineering analyses executed by a transmission provider in response to a request for transmission service. More precisely, the Cleco OATT defines these studies as follows:
System Impact Study - An assessment by the transmission provider of (i) adequacy of the transmission system to accommodate a request for either firm point-to-point transmission service or network integration transmission service and (ii) whether any additional cost may be incurred in order to provide transmission service.
Facilities Study - An engineering study conducted by the transmission provider to determine the required modifications to the transmission providers transmission system, including the cost and scheduled completion date for such modifications, that will be required to provide the requested transmission service.
System Impact and Facilities Study Process Manual
Summary of Procedures
Based on a valid transmission service request for firm or network service, the following summarizes the process. System Impact Study
The process:
- Request/inquiry for serviced received
- Transmission Provider must contact customer within 30 days to either (i) grant service or (ii) inform customer a System Impact Study is required.
- Customer must execute System Impact Study Agreement within 15 days else it is deemed withdrawn
- System Impact Study completed (or extension requested) within 60 days
- Customer provided results and has 15 days to sign Service Agreement if no Facilities Study needed due to upgrades/additions; else request deemed withdrawn
- Customer billed
- Study posted on OASIS
Facilities Study
If as a result of the System Impact Study transmission upgrades/additions are necessary, a Facilities Study is necessary and shall be conducted as follows:
