IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - January/February 2016 - 55

Broadly speaking, the CIM goal for network modeling
is to define network analysis data in terms of building blocks-
let's call them "model parts."
some business process goals may require extensions of the data (at level 2) for a tso as-built model. this will require some
set of decisions at levels 0 and 1 and some planning around
model, and the ciM supports this as well.
at level 1, data management responsibility is organized among how a more complete stack is going to be evolved, but such
the participants in modeling processes. participants decide which an initial step is achievable and valuable by itself and prosources are responsible for what master data parts and establish vides a key block on which to build.
framework agreements about how the data parts fit together. they
also define participant roles in key business processes, such as ERCOT and CIM for Network Analysis
"assembling future planning base cases" or "updating the model on 1 september 2009, as part of a new node-based market
of my territory at my independent system operator."
implementation, the electric reliability council of texas
at level 2, the implementation work begins based on the (ercot) adopted the Network Model Management system
standards of level 0 and the process agreements of level 1. (NMMs)-a first-of-its-kind software solution for supporting
the key mechanism to be organized is the network model power system data modeling processes. the NMMs is based
management functionality of each participant. sharing of on the ciM and supports all aspects of the model life cycle
model parts among disparate analytical processes almost including data entry, validation, creation of power-system modcertainly requires some new data management capability to els, testing and data finalization, and archiving of model data
manage and exchange model parts and build cases for a vari- changes. Nearly four and a half years of planning, designing,
ety of purposes from model parts.
developing, and integrating went into creating the NMMs.
Finally, at level 3, it becomes productive to invest in more its design is a response to both internal ercot goals for
sophisticated automation of the agreed-upon business pro- increased efficiency in its internal data management processes
cesses. in other words, levels 0, 1, and 2 fully enable organized and preparation for the new challenges posed to the electric
use of shared model parts, but within processes that are essen- power industry in the area of power-system data management.
tially managed manually. in some
cases, this will be fine; but in others,
automation will be desirable and
achievable in practice because of the
External Data-Providing Sources
groundwork laid at the lower levels.
Transmission Network
Future Planning
Resource Asset
of course, as was made clear
Changes
Changes
Information
in out eighth requirement, it is not
possible to convert instantaneously
CIM
Input
from existing practice to this vision.
realistically, each utility entity
ERCOT Network Model
will start with some basic changes
Management System
and move forward step by step.
Fortunately, ciM standards supShared CIM
port evolution well. it is not necMaster Data
essary to complete one level, as
illustrated in Figure 2, before moving to the next. it is only necessary
CIM
Output
to complete the parts of lower levels that directly support a particuCIM-Based Network Models
lar higher-level goal.
in fact, it is not advisable to
Energy-Management
Market-Management
Outage Evaluation
System
System
try to implement a comprehensive
Future System
Congestion Rights
stack all at once. it will normally
Outage Scheduling
Planning
Auction
be best to pick a core initial objective that is achievable, such as a
network model manager function figure 5. The ERCOT NMMS based on CIM.
january/february 2016

ieee power & energy magazine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - January/February 2016