NOTICE DATE:  March 28, 2012
NOTICE TYPE:  W-A032812-01 Operations
SHORT DESCRIPTION:  ERCOT 2012 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 May 22 - 23, 2012. All Qualified Scheduling Entities (QSEs) that provide Ancillary Services and Transmission Operators (TOs) are required to participate in the drill.
This year's Drill will simulate an 8-day event leading up to a Category 5 Hurricane making landfall at San Antonio Bay on day 5 of the Drill (see Drill script for details). The Drill will begin at 08:00 on Tuesday, May 22, 2012. Below is a timeline of events and due dates.
Severe Weather Hurricane Drill Timeline of Events

April 20, 2012

Operations Drill Participants' confirmations due back to ERCOT

May 17, 2012

Drill Conference Call

May 22 - 23, 2012

Drill Days (07:30 - 16:30)

May 31, 2012

Drill Participants' Critique responses due back to ERCOT

June 7 - 8, 2012

Backup Drill days


Other interested Market Participants are invited to participate in the emergency communications drill which runs simultaneously with the operations drill. ERCOT corporate communications will conduct an email-only drill which simulates crisis notification. Participants are welcome to simulate the use of their own internal emergency plans. RSVP to Dottie Roark ([log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>) by May 18, 2012, if you would like to participate in the communications portion of the annual drill.
ACTION REQUIRED:  QSEs that provide Ancillary Services and Transmission Operators are to confirm their participation by sending an email to Stacy Wozny ([log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>) by April 20, 2012, 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 Regional Entity (TRE) - ([log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>).
Operations staffs of other Market Participants (e.g., QSEs that do not provide Ancillary Services) are welcome to email Stacy Wozny ([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 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 and apply this time toward ERCOT's 32-hour reliability training requirement. Please note that ERCOT will not be able to issue NERC Continuing Education Hours for this Drill.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:  The attached files contain the 2012 Drill Invitation and Hurricane Path slides.
The Drill Scripts (ERCOT and Participant versions), Drill Activities (QSE and TO), Drill Participant Call List and Drill Critique will be sent prior to 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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