Electricity – Tariffs
Application
The Alberta Electric System Operator (“AESO”) applied for approval of a revised implementation plan for its adjusted metering practice (“AMP”) and related amendments to the Independent System Operator (“ISO”) tariff and rules. The revisions to certain sections of the ISO tariff related to totalized billing of multiple points of delivery or points of supply at the same substation.
Decision
This decision dealt only with the AESO’s requested totalized billing revisions, which the AUC approved.
Pertinent Issues
The requested amendments included revisions to: s 8(1) of demand transmission service rate (“Rate DTS”); s 3(1) of primary service credit rate (“Rate PSC”) and supply transmission service rate (“Rate STS”); s 10.3(2) of the terms and conditions of the ISO tariff; and new ss 10.4(1) and 10.4(2) of the terms and conditions of the ISO tariff, to permit totalized billing of multiple points of delivery or points of supply at the same substation.
The AESO proposed the totalized billing revisions to permit the totalization of feeder flows under the same service, at the same substation because:
- multiple points of delivery or supply can exist within the same substation;
- the current totalized billing provisions lack clarity regarding whether and how totalized billing within the same substation is permitted;
- it would be administratively inefficient if the AESO was required to separately contract and bill for DTS or STS at each point of delivery or point of supply within a substation; and
- not allowing the totalization of several points of supply in one substation would create a barrier that limits the ability of a market participant to aggregate its transmission connected generating units.
The AUC found that the proposed revisions, which are largely administrative in nature, will improve the clarity of the ISO tariff, provide more flexible and efficient contracting options, and streamline AESO billing procedures.
