IEEE
Lisa Deppa is a Transmission Line Project Engineer at POWER Engineers.
FERC in 2021 approved a final rule in Order 881, aimed at utilizing more efficiently the nation's transmission grid, while helping lower costs for consumers by improving the accuracy and transparency of transmission line ratings. Transmission line ratings represent the maximum transfer capability of each transmission line and can change based on weather conditions.
This final rule allowed for a three-year implementation, and required all transmission providers, whether or not in an organized market, to use ambient-adjusted ratings for evaluating near-term transmission service, aimed at increasing the accuracy of near-term line ratings. FERC made the change based on the concept that line ratings typically were based on conservative assumptions about worst case, long-term air temperature and other weather conditions, which could lead to underutilization of the transmission grid.
FERC Order 881 was the subject of discussion at a recent IEEE Power & Energy Society T&D Conference, which was attended by POWER Engineers' Lisa Deppa. She explains here the latest on Order 881 and why it is important to the decarbonization journey.
PUF's Steve Mitnick: Why is FERC Order 881 critical to the transformation?