NOTICE DATE:  June 15, 2015
NOTICE TYPE:  W-A061515-01 Operations
SHORT DESCRIPTION:  ERCOT 2015 Winter Storm Drill
INTENDED AUDIENCE:  QSEs with Resources, Transmission Service Providers and other interested Market Participants
DAY AFFECTED:  See table below
LONG DESCRIPTION:  The annual "Severe Weather Drill" as required by the ERCOT Nodal Operating Guides, Section 1.5.4, will be conducted October 20 and 21, 2015. All Qualified Scheduling Entities (QSEs) that represent Generation Resources and Transmission Operators (TOs) are required to participate in the severe weather drill.
This year's Drill will simulate a massive cold air mass quickly moving into Texas in a 72 hour time frame. The Drill will begin at 07:30 on October 21, 2015, and will simulate a five day event. Below is a timeline of events and due dates.
Severe Weather Winter Storm Drill
Timeline of Events

August 7, 2015

Operations Drill Coordinator and his/her contact information due back to ERCOT.

September 4, 2015

Drill Participants' RSVPs due back to ERCOT with individual drill scripts. No Drill scripts will be accepted after September 4th

October 5, 2015

Drill conference call.  There will be two separate instructional conference calls; one for TOs and one for QSEs.

October 20, 2015

Communications test (07:30 - 16:30)

October 21, 2015

Drill day (07:30 - 16:30)

November 2, 2015

Drill participants' critique responses due back to ERCOT.

October 28, 2015

Contingency drill day.


ACTION REQUIRED:  QSEs that represent Generation Resources and Transmission Operators are to confirm their participation by sending an email to John Jarmon ([log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>) by August 7, 2015, that includes the following required information:
*         Your company's Drill Coordinator and his/her phone number.
*         The phone number of the site from which you intend to run your Drill. These numbers will be assembled into one phone list to be used by all Drill participants, in order to facilitate inter-communication.
*         A copy of your training plan. Your plan will be forwarded to the Texas Reliability Entity (TRE).
For compliance purposes, it will be necessary to document your company's participation.  Drill logs, attendance records, and a comprehensive training plan will be used to meet these requirements.  Your company is required to develop its own additional in-house Drill scenarios, which should include coordination and participation with neighboring TOs and QSEs.  Companies should also conduct a post-mortem critique immediately following the Drill, and apply this time toward ERCOT's 32-hour reliability training requirement.  Finally, we would encourage the senior management of all companies to participate in the Drill.
CONTACT:  If you have any questions, please contact your ERCOT Account Manager. You may also call the general ERCOT Client Services phone number at (512) 248-3900 or contact ERCOT Client Services via email at [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>.
If you are receiving email from an ERCOT distribution list that you no longer wish to receive, please follow this link in order to unsubscribe from this list: http://lists.ercot.com.




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