Common use of Determination of System Conditions Using the State Estimator Clause in Contracts

Determination of System Conditions Using the State Estimator. Power system operations, including, but not limited to, the determination of the least costly means of serving load, depend upon the availability of a complete and consistent representation of generator outputs, loads, and power flows on the network. In calculating Locational Marginal Prices, the Office of the Interconnection shall obtain a complete and consistent description of conditions on the electric network in the PJM Control Area by using the most recent power flow solution produced by the State Estimator, which is also used by the Office of the Interconnection for other functions within power system operations. The State Estimator is a standard industry tool that produces a power flow model based on available real-time metering information, information regarding the current status of lines, generators, transformers, and other equipment, bus load distribution factors, and a representation of the electric network, to provide a complete description of system conditions, including conditions at busses for which real-time information is unavailable. The current version of the State Estimator includes over 1600 busses in the PJM Control Area, as well as interface busses with adjacent Control Areas. The Office of the Interconnection shall obtain a State Estimator solution every five minutes, which shall provide the megawatt output of generators and the loads at busses in the PJM Control Area, transmission line losses, and actual flows or loadings on constrained transmission facilities. External transactions between PJM and other Control Areas shall be included in the Locational Marginal Price calculation on the basis of the real time transaction schedules implemented by the Office of the Interconnection's dispatcher.