52 Pa. Code § 57.52 – Emergency load control and energy conservation by electric utilities.

(a) An electric public utility subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission shall include in its electric tariff rules and regulations filed with the Commission the following provision:
1. (1) RULE
  1. (i) A load emergency situation exists whenever:
    1. (A) The demands for power on all or part of the utility’s system exceed or threaten to exceed the capacity then actually and lawfully available to supply the demands.
    2. (B) System instability or cascading outages could result from actual or expected transmission overloads or other contingencies.
    3. (C) The conditions exist in the system or another public utility or power pool with which the utility’s system is interconnected and cause a reduction in the capacity available to the utility from that source or threaten the integrity of the utility’s system.
  2. (ii) In this case, the utility shall take the reasonable steps as the time available permits to bring the demands within the then-available capacity or to otherwise control load. The steps shall include, but are not limited to, reduction or interruption of service to one or more customers, in accordance with the utility’s procedures for controlling load.
  EMERGENCY LOAD CONTROL.
2. (2) RULE
  EMERGENCY ENERGY CONSERVATION. An emergency energy conservation situation exists whenever events result or, in the judgment of the utility, threaten to result in a restriction of the fuel supplies available to the utility or its energy vendors, so that the amount of electric energy which the utility is able to supply is or will be adversely affected. In the event of an emergency energy conservation situation, the utility shall take reasonable measures that it believes necessary and proper to conserve available fuel supplies. The measures may include, but are not limited to, reduction, interruption or suspension of service to one or more of its customers or classes of customers in accordance with the utility’s procedure for emergency energy conservation.
(b) A utility shall establish procedures for controlling load and emergency conservation.
1. (1) These procedures shall include schedules of load shedding priorities to be followed in compliance with subsection (a).
2. (2) These procedures may be revised by the utility, and shall be revised if required by the Commission.
3. (3) A copy of the procedures or of the revision currently in effect shall be kept available for public inspection at the office at which the utility maintains a copy of its tariff for public inspection, and another copy shall be kept on file with the Commission’s Bureau of Conservation, Economics and Energy Planning.
(c) In the event of either a load emergency situation or an emergency energy conservation situation, as defined under subsection (a), the following emergency notification procedures apply:
1. (1) During load emergencies, initial notice shall be provided by telephone to the Commission no later than the time a voltage reduction warning is issued on the electric system. If a utility does not have the capability to implement system-wide automatic voltage reductions, notice shall be provided to the Commission prior to the implementation of emergency measures which would have a direct impact on firm customers. Notification shall be provided to the Commission as each subsequent load control procedure is either implemented or cancelled. During the course of the load emergency situation, the affected utility shall provide other emergency related information to the Commission that the Commission determines to be necessary. Information shall be provided by fax at a minimum of every 3 hours commencing with initial notification of an emergency situation and shall include the following:
  1. (i) System operating capacity.
  2. (ii) Current system load.
  3. (iii) Projected system peak load and hour.
  4. (iv) System operating reserve capacity.
  5. (v) Capacity transactions.
  6. (vi) Unavailable generating units.
  7. (vii) Status of implementation of emergency operating procedures.
  8. (viii) Customers and loads affected by manual load shedding, if applicable.
2. (2) During energy conservation emergencies, notice shall be provided by telephone to the Commission at the time of initial implementation of measures which the utility determines to be necessary to conserve available fuel supplies and which would have a direct impact on firm customers. Notification shall be provided to the Commission as each subsequent emergency conservation procedure is either implemented or cancelled. During the course of the emergency energy conservation situation, the affected utility shall provide other emergency related information to the Commission that the Commission determines to be necessary. Information shall be provided by fax at a minimum of every 3 hours commencing with initial notification of an emergency situation and shall include the following:
  1. (i) Fuel inventories.
  2. (ii) Fuel deliveries.
  3. (iii) Burn rates.
  4. (iv) Curtailment schedules, if applicable.
3. (3) The utility shall designate emergency contact individuals from which emergency information may be obtained and provide the Commission with a current list of contacts.
4. (4) Utilities which operate within a power pool or similarly integrated bulk power system with a single system operator shall provide notification and other emergency related information to the Commission through their designated representative if the emergency situation affects the entire integrated system, in lieu of individual utility notification.
5. (5) Section 67.1 (relating to general provisions) does not apply to either load emergency situations or emergency energy conservation situations.
6. (6) The Commission will provide information to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency during emergency situations.
7. (7) The Commission will designate emergency contact individuals to be contacted by the utilities to meet the requirements of this section. The Commission will provide the current list of Commission contacts to the utilities and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.

Authority

The provisions of this § 57.52 issued under the Public Utility Code, 66 Pa.C.S. § § 331, 501, 504 and 1501.

Source

The provisions of this § 57.52 adopted August 19, 1977, effective August 20, 1977, 7 Pa.B. 2350; amended through January 7, 1983, effective January 8, 1983, 13 Pa.B. 131; corrected January 21, 1983, effective January 8, 1983, 13 Pa.B. 523; amended July 12, 1996, effective July 13, 1996, 26 Pa.B. 3339. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (216061) and (205833).

Cross References

This section cited in 52 Pa. Code § 57.192 (relating to definitions).