NEPOOL Operating Procedure No. 2

MAINTENANCE OF COMMUNICATIONS, COMPUTERS,
METERING, AND COMPUTER SUPPORT EQUIPMENT

APPROVED:	May 21, 1998 by the NEPOOL Regional Market Operations Committee and the NEPOOL Regional Transmission Operations Committee to be implemented on June 15, 1998.

SATELLITE INSTRUCTION NO.

CONVEX:	None

MAINE:		None

NEW HAMPSHIRE:	None

REMVEC II:	None

Table Of Contents

PART I – INTRODUCTION	3

PART II – SCOPE	3

PART III – PROCEDURE	4

I.	    Criteria for Repair/Maintenance (Priority)	4

II.	    Establishment of Criteria	5

III.	Responsibility for Repair/Maintenance	5

IV.	Scheduling of Routine Maintenance	5

V.	    Day of Performance of Routine and Emergency/Unscheduled Maintenance	8

VI.	Record Keeping	10

APPENDIX A - Itemized Equipment

APPENDIX B - ISO/ Satellite/ SCADA Center OP 2 Staff

APPENDIX C - Equipment Outage Request Form

APPENDIX D - OP 2 Approved Scheduled Maintenance Report

PART I - INTRODUCTION

This procedure establishes ISO New England criteria for the repair and maintenance of equipment whose loss has a significant impact on the ability to reliably operate the Bulk Power System in New England.  The following lists types of equipment which depending on specific roles can be critical to system operation:

•	Computers

•	Metering, Telemetering and Control equipment

•	Communications equipment (Including The Shared Telecommunications Network)

•	Computer support equipment

•	Inter and Intra-net Systems and Equipment

•	Associated equipment

While it is impossible to list all the conceivable contingencies that might result in failure of critical equipment, this instruction attempts to identify the equipment and give guidelines for its repair or maintenance.

This procedure includes provisions for allowing warranted exceptions to the established maintenance priorities for the covered equipment.  Any changes in the established priorities will be documented by the party requesting the change.

PART II - SCOPE

This procedure covers all equipment located at the Holyoke headquarters of ISO New England.  In addition, certain facilities critical to the ISO New England operation but located at the CONVEX, Maine, New Hampshire and REMVEC II Satellite Control Centers as well as the SCADA Control Centers located at Bangor Hydro Electric Company, Boston Edison Company, Commonwealth Electric Company, Eastern Utilities Associates, New England Power Company, United Illuminating Company and Vermont Electric Power Company are included in this procedure.  Microwave facilities located remotely from ISO New England but having an impact on its operation are also included.  Appendix A lists the equipment covered by this procedure.

In order to promote efficient and rapid repair or maintenance of affected equipment, the following aspects of repair and maintenance work are covered:

•	Criteria for repair/maintenance priority

•	Establishment of Criteria

•	Responsibility for repair/maintenance

•	Scheduling of routine maintenance

•	Day of performance of routine and emergency/unplanned maintenance 

•	Record keeping

PART III - PROCEDURE

I.	Criteria for Repair/Maintenance (Priority)

The following criteria identify required response times to begin repair of failed equipment.  The times are based upon the importance of the equipment to system operations.  This same criterion is used to prioritize requests made for equipment maintenance. 

A.	Class A (Immediate)

This highest priority for repair or maintenance applies to equipment that is critical to maintain adequate system security and reasonable economic dispatch.

B.	Class B (Regular working hours weekdays - except when they are more than sixteen (16) hours removed)

This intermediate priority is intended for equipment whose loss can be tolerated for limited periods of time, but which cannot or should not be tolerated for prolonged periods of time.

C.	Class C (Regular working hours)

Ideally, this is the preferred priority for the performance of all repairs and maintenance.  It applies to all equipment not in Class A and B above.

II.	Establishment of Criteria

A.	Under normal conditions, the criteria (priority classification) for maintenance of various equipment affecting ISO operation is established in Appendix A.

B.	Under abnormal conditions, the ISO Control Room Staff and/or the Satellite or SCADA Control Center System Operator(s) have the authority and responsibility to change the criteria established in Appendix A.  If a criterion is changed, it must be documented by the Operator requesting the change.

III.	Responsibility for Repair/Maintenance

A.	Assignment of Repair/Maintenance Responsibility

The location of the equipment fixes the responsibility for repair or maintenance in most instances.  Equipment located at a specific Satellite Control Center or SCADA Control Center is generally the responsibility of that Control Center.  Equipment located at the ISO is an ISO responsibility.  Repair or maintenance of microwave facilities used in support of the ISO operation but not owned by the ISO, shall be the responsibility of the owner.

B.	Repair Work

Equipment failures must be responded to within the time requirements prescribed in Section I of this document.  Repair work status should be communicated between all effected operating centers.

C.	Coordination of Maintenance

It is the responsibility of the ISO to coordinate all maintenance on equipment listed in Appendix A.  Coordination includes the scheduling, approval or denial of requests for regular maintenance, and the change in criteria classification in the event of emergency.  Satellite and SCADA System Operators also have the authority and responsibility to effect temporary changes to the criteria established in Appendix A.

IV.	Scheduling of Routine Maintenance

Requests for arranging advance schedules for routine maintenance on any equipment affecting the ISO should be submitted to the ISO Transmission Applications Coordinator via the appropriate staff listed in Appendix B.  The staff listed in Appendix B must obtain operational approval at their facilities prior to submitting outage requests to the next level in the approval process. 

When work is being performed at the Satellite Control Centers, or the SCADA Control Centers, the ISO On Call Staff person will be available to the ISO Control Room Staff should the need arise for technical assistance during the outage.

In the event that the timelines described in sections IV.A., IV.B. and IV.C. can not be complied with due to unforeseen circumstances, the ISO Transmission Applications Coordinator will consider outage requests on a short notice basis. These requests will be handled on a case by case basis following the procedures described below. 

A.	Procedure to Schedule SCADA Control Center Routine Maintenance 

1.	The SCADA Control Center Staff listed in Appendix B determines the equipment involved in the outage and its effect on system operations and completes the Equipment Outage Request Form located in Appendix C.  

2.	The SCADA Control Center Staff listed in Appendix B obtains concurrence from his/ her Operations Staff to perform the Maintenance required.

3.	The SCADA Control Center Staff listed in Appendix B forwards the outage request to the appropriate Satellite Control Center Staff listed in Appendix B by 1600 on Thursday for work beginning the following Monday at 0700 through the next seven day period.

4.	The Satellite Control Center Staff from Appendix B reviews the outage and obtains concurrence from his/ her Operations Staff to perform the maintenance required.  The Satellite Control Center Staff from Appendix B will make any preliminary notifications to affected SCADA Control Center Staff from Appendix B as required.

5.	The Satellite Control Center Staff from Appendix B forwards the maintenance request to the ISO Transmission Applications Coordinator by 1200 on Friday for work beginning the following Monday at 0700 through the next seven-day period.

6.	The ISO Transmission Applications Coordinator will review all applications received and provide verbal and fax approval/disapproval to the Satellite Control Center Staff from Appendix B by 1500 on Friday.  The Satellite Control Center Staff from Appendix B will then provide verbal and fax notification to his/ her counterparts at the SCADA Control Center.

7.	A final approved schedule (See Appendix D) for the following week’s maintenance will be distributed by FAX to all locations in Appendix B by 1500 on Friday.

B.	Procedure to Schedule Satellite Control Center Routine Maintenance 

1.	The Satellite Control Center Staff listed in Appendix B determines the equipment involved in the outage and its effect on system operations and completes the Equipment Outage Request Form located in Appendix C.

2.	The Satellite Control Center Staff listed in Appendix B obtains concurrence from his/ her Operations Staff to perform the Maintenance.  The Satellite Control Center Staff listed in Appendix B will make any preliminary notifications to his/ her counterparts at affected SCADA Control Centers.

3.	The Satellite Control Center Staff listed in Appendix B forwards the Maintenance request to the ISO Transmission Applications Coordinator by 1200 on Friday for work beginning the following Monday at 0700 through the next seven day period.

4.	The ISO Transmission Applications Coordinator will review all applications submitted and provide verbal and fax approval/disapproval to the Satellite Control Center Staff from Appendix B by 1500 on Friday.  The Satellite Control Center Staff from Appendix B will then provide verbal and fax notification to his/ her counterparts at the SCADA Control Center.

5.	A final approved schedule (See Appendix D) for the following week’s maintenance will be distributed by FAX to all locations in Appendix B by 1500 on Friday.

C.	Procedure to Schedule ISO New England Control Center Routine Maintenance 

1.	The ISO Control Center Staff listed in Appendix B determines the equipment involved in the outage and its effect on system operations and completes the Equipment Outage Request Form located in Appendix C.  The ISO Control Center Staff listed in Appendix B will make any preliminary notifications to his/ her counterparts at affected Satellite Control Centers.

2.	The ISO Control Center Staff listed in Appendix B forwards the Maintenance request to the ISO Transmission Applications Coordinator by 1200 on Friday for work beginning the following Monday at 0700 through the next seven-day period.

3.	The ISO Transmission Applications Coordinator will review all applications submitted and provide verbal approval/disapproval to the applicant by 1500 on Friday.

4.	A final approved schedule (See Appendix D) for the following week’s maintenance will be distributed by FAX to all locations in Appendix B by 1500 on Friday.

V.	Day of Performance of Routine and Emergency/Unscheduled Maintenance

A.	Procedure to Perform SCADA Control Center Routine Maintenance (Day Of Outage)

1.	The SCADA Control Center Staff listed in Appendix B requests concurrence of his/ her SCADA Control Center System Operator to perform the approved maintenance as described in the Equipment Outage Request Form (Appendix C).

2.	The SCADA Control Center System Operator requests concurrence from his/ her Satellite Control Center System Operator.

3.	The Satellite Control Center System Operator requests approval of the outage from the ISO Control Room Staff.

4.	If approved by the ISO, the Satellite System Operator notifies the SCADA Control Center System Operator to have the work proceed and advise when complete.  The Satellite System Operator will also advise any other affected SCADA Control Center under his/ her jurisdiction of the outage. The ISO Control Room Staff will notify any other affected Satellite of the upcoming outage.  If disapproved, the ISO Control Room Staff will provide a reason and offer alternative scheduling if appropriate.

5.	The return to service should follow the same notification process described above.

B.	Procedure to Perform Satellite Control Center Routine Maintenance (Day Of Outage)

1.	The Satellite Control Center Staff listed in Appendix B requests concurrence of his/ her Satellite Control Center System Operator to perform the approved maintenance as described in the Equipment Outage Request Form (Appendix C).

2.	The Satellite Control Center System Operator requests approval of the outage from the ISO Control Room Staff.

3.	If approved by the ISO, the Satellite System Operator has the work proceed and advises when complete. The Satellite System Operator will also advise any other affected SCADA Control Center under his/ her jurisdiction of the outage. The ISO Control Room Staff will notify any other affected Satellite of the upcoming outage. If disapproved, the ISO Control Room Staff will provide a reason and offer alternative scheduling if appropriate.

4.	The return to service should follow the same notification process described above.

C.	Procedure to Perform ISO New England Routine Maintenance (Day Of Outage)

1.	For work performed at the ISO, the ISO On Call Staff person will coordinate with all parties who are to perform work, and will request permission of the ISO Control Room Staff to start the work.

2.	If the work impacts data flow to a Satellite or SCADA Control Center, or involves parallel work at a Satellite or SCADA Control Center, the ISO Control Room Staff will check with the applicable Satellite System Operator for concurrence.  If required, the Satellite System Operator will check with the SCADA Control Center Operator for concurrence.

3.	Once concurrence is received, the ISO Control Room Staff will advise the ISO On Call Staff person to begin work.  As required, the ISO On Call Staff will notify all counterparts that approval has been received and work can begin.

4.	The return to service should follow the same notification process described above.

D.	Procedure to Perform Emergency/Unplanned Maintenance

It should be recognized by Operating and Technical Staffs that emergency/unplanned maintenance must be performed from time to time.  This maintenance is done to enhance the operation of the effected equipment and is in the best interest of all parties involved.  While unplanned maintenance may not meet the criteria for an emergency, Operating and Technical Staffs should perform this work if system conditions permit.  This is especially true for backup or redundant systems.

1.	If, based on the priorities detailed in Appendix A, Emergency/Unplanned Maintenance is required at the ISO facilities, the ISO Control Room Staff shall immediately notify the ISO On Call Staff.  The ISO On Call Staff will proceed with Steps 1 through 4 listed in section V.C. above.

2.	If, based on the priorities detailed in Appendix A, Emergency/Unplanned Maintenance is required at a Satellite Control Center, the Satellite System Operator shall notify the ISO Control Room Staff providing details and possible impacts of the maintenance.  The ISO Control Room Staff will coordinate any Emergency/Unplanned Maintenance, and shall notify the ISO On Call Staff if required.  As conditions allow, Section V.B. will be followed for Satellite Emergency/Unplanned Maintenance and Section V.A. For SCADA Control Center Emergency/Unplanned Maintenance. The Satellite Control Center and or SCADA Control Center, in coordination with the ISO Control Room Staff, is responsible for determining if On-Call staff is required at the Satellite or SCADA Control Center facility to support the emergency/unplanned work.

VI.	Record Keeping

It is the responsibility of the ISO, the Satellites and the SCADA Control Centers to perform record keeping necessary under this procedure as required by each location.

Document History

		Initially Approved May 21, 1998 by the NEPOOL Regional Market Operations Committee and the NEPOOL Regional Transmission Operations Committee to be implemented on June 15, 1998