Transmission & Distribution Resource Catalog

At its 2018 Annual Meeting, NCEP launched the theme, “Transmission & Distribution System Coordination in Planning, Operations, and Markets” in light of the increasing prevalence of distributed energy resources (DERs) on the grid and their current and potential future impacts at multiple levels of the electricity system. NCEP invited expert presenters and hosted a facilitated dialogue on members’ questions and resources that might address their questions. NCEP released a Compendium of Resources based on the meeting in September 2018. Since then, new information has become available at an unprecedented rate, requiring an easy-to-update, accessible location: the Resource Catalog. At each subsequent Annual Meeting, NCEP held expert presentations and a facilitated dialogue, adding those examples and resources to the Resource Catalog.

Download the T&D Resource Catalog Excel Spreadsheet.

The Resource Catalog is divided into three main categories with two subcategories, explained below.

Planning – Careful planning of new transmission and distribution infrastructure is critical for the successful integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) to the distribution system without negatively impacting the bulk power system. Several pilot projects and policy approaches have been used to support the planning of transmission and distribution (T&D) infrastructure. This section includes energy efficiency.

Operations – Grid operations are critical to the safe, reliable, and efficient delivery of electricity. Currently, distribution operators and regional transmission operators (RTOs) do not consistently have visibility and situational awareness of the location, status, and output of DERs. In the future, as DERs continue to grow in number and magnitude, T&D operators will need to establish and/or improve coordination and communication with each other in new ways to maintain reliable operation of their respective systems, and with the electric system as a whole. This section includes resilience, reliability, large customers, and electric vehicles.

Markets – Increased adoption of a range of DER technologies has the potential to change or activate retail and wholesale markets (i.e., at the distribution and transmission levels). Key to exploring the potential effects is understanding the benefits and services DERs provide; how utilities, distribution grid operators, and transmission operators value those services; and ultimately working out how and who will transact for these services. This section includes state policies and incentives, rate design, and valuation.

Resources falling into these three categories are then split between either:

(1) an example of a policy or pilot project, or
(2) a resource for either implementation or the marketplace of ideas 

For example: “Planning – Example,” “Planning – Resource,” “Markets – Resource”.

Download the T&D Resource Catalog Excel Spreadsheet.

• Date – The date that the resource was published or last date accessed (e.g., from a website).
• Publisher – In lieu of author, we include the publisher or organization releasing the resource
• Title – Name of the resource
• Resource Type
  • Article – Article written or published by a journalist or journalistic institution
  • Blog –Article written and posted online by a non-journalist; can include opinion pieces; tend to be short and non-technical.
  • Presentation – Presentations from conferences or webinars, PowerPoints, and InfoDocs
  • Press Release – Announcement intended for the media to report on, yet from the originating body
  • Report – Report includes guidance documents, plans, standards, white papers, and other peer-reviewed materials
  • Website – Includes links to individual webpages or entire websites
  • Docket – Includes any orders, filings, notices, staff reports, policies, or/tariffs from or submitted to a public utility commission or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
• Region Proxy (focused on regional transmission organizations)
  • National – any resource that covers multiple regions, U.S. islands and territories (Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, etc.), Alaska
  • Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) – Texas
  • Independent System Operator – New England (ISO-NE) – the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont
  • New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) – New York
  • PJM Interconnection (PJM) – the Mid-Atlantic states such as Delaware, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Ohio, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, and West Virginia
  • Midcontinent Independent system Operator (MISO) – the mid-continent states such as Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin
  • California ISO (CAISO) – California
  • Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) – western states such as Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming (includes the Energy Imbalance Market, EIM)
  • Southeastern – includes southeastern states such as Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee that are not in PJM or MISO
  • International – any resource that covers outside of the U.S.
• Topic –Planning, Operations, or Markets
• Subtopic – “example” or “resource” and additional characteristics of the resource
• Notes – anything else notable about the resource, including if it is linked to other resources cited

Download the T&D Resource Catalog Excel Spreadsheet.

NCEP will update this catalog as new materials become available. Please send any suggestions for additions to the Resource Catalog to Kerry Worthington with your recommendations for where the resource(s) best belong in the tables.