NOTICE DATE:  January 30, 2014
NOTICE TYPE:  W-A013014-01 Operations
SHORT DESCRIPTION:  ERCOT 2014 Severe Weather Hurricane Drill
INTENDED AUDIENCE:  QSEs with Resources, Transmission Operators and other interested Market Participants
DAYS AFFECTED:  See table below
LONG DESCRIPTION:  The annual "Severe Weather Drill" as required by the ERCOT Nodal Operating Guide, Section 1.5.4, will be conducted on May 13 and 14, 2014. All Transmission Operators (TOs) and Qualified Scheduling Entities (QSEs) that that represent Generation Resources are required to participate in the drill.
This year's drill will simulate the path and intensity of Hurricane Carla that formed on September 3, 1961 and dissipated on September 16, 1961.  Carla made landfall on the Texas coast at Port O'Conner as a Category 4 on September 11, 1961, and eventually made its way to Oklahoma on September 13, 1961.  Below is a timeline of events and due dates.
Severe Weather Hurricane Drill Timeline of Events

March 3, 2014

Operations Drill Participants' confirmations due back to ERCOT

May 5, 2014

Drill Conference Call

May 13 - 14, 2014

Drill Days (07:30 - 16:30)

May 22, 2014

Drill Participants' Critique responses due back to ERCOT

May 27 - 28, 2014

Backup Drill days


ERCOT plans to conduct a drill of its Crisis Communications Procedures simultaneously with the severe weather hurricane drill.  Market Participant communication teams and public information officers who would like to use this opportunity to simulate their own exercises or observe are invited to participate in the emergency communications drill.. This portion of the drill will be an email-only exercise based on the specific scenario and established procedures. . .
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:  The attached files contain the 2014 Hurricane Drill Invitation, Drill Script (TO), Drill Script (QSE), Storm Track and related data, and Drill Critique.
ACTION REQUIRED:  QSEs that represent Generation Resources and Transmission Operators are to confirm their participation by sending an email to Brian Barcalow ([log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>) by March 3, 2014, that includes the following required information:
*         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).
ERCOT encourages the senior management of all companies to participate in the drill.
Operations staffs of other Market Participants are welcome to email Brian Barcalow ([log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>) to participate with ERCOT Operations in Hot Line calls.
For compliance purposes, it will be necessary for you to document your company's participation. 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.  Participation in this drill may be applied towards ERCOT's 32-hour reliability training requirement. Please note that ERCOT will not be able to issue NERC Continuing Education Hours for this Drill.
Market Participant communication teams that want to participate in the communication portion of the drill should RSVP directly to Robbie Searcy ([log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>) by March 3, 2014.
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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