LCRA Manages Meters and Interval Data in ERCOT

Tom Knutsen, LCRA

SWEMACorpus Christi, TX

June 6, 2005

6 Jun 05 2

Lower Colorado River Authority

• Wholesale only– 8 rural cooperatives– 33 municipal utilities– One anomaly Cap Rock Energy IOU– 30,000 square miles

6 Jun 05 3

“Our” Colorado River

6 Jun 05 4

Wholesale Billing

• LCRA bills its customers at the substation; our agreement is that ownership of electricity changes hands on the low side of the transmission transformer– Power arrives at transmission voltage– Power leaves at distribution voltage–Wholesale metering and billing have not

changed

6 Jun 05 5

Value of Meter

• “Everything stems from that meter working properly. That’s our foundation, it’s our measuring system,”– Deena Hemphill,

Cap Rock Energy

6 Jun 05 6

Solid State Interval Data Recorder

• “Technology is now available that can track an intangible that cannot be stored.”

• Carolyn Kinsman, Automated Communications Links, Inc.

6 Jun 05 7

Metering and Data Changes

• LCRA management decided to split generation and transmission functions physically in re-regulated environment

• LCRA could no longer read and manage meters for Wholesale Customers’ Key Accounts – they are retail

6 Jun 05 8

LCRA and its Key Account Program

• LCRA manages outside contractors for metering and data collection services for Customers’ Key Accounts

• We adapted this set up to other markets

6 Jun 05 9

Metering and Data Services

• LCRA offers meter services through Texas Meter and Device, Waco

6 Jun 05 10

Metering and Data Services

• LCRA offers daily metering reading and data posting through MeterSmart of Arlington, Texas

6 Jun 05 11

Key Account Data Flow

BILLING DATA

METERTMD

(MSP)END USE

CUSTOMER

WHOLESALECUSTOMER

(TDSP)

METERSMART(MDMA)

LCRABILLING &

SETTLEMENT

MONTHLY

WEEKLYMONTHLY

DAILY

WEB DAILY

6 Jun 05 12

Key Accounts -- Education

• Customers monitor their customers’ loads

• End-Users plan operations and budgets

6 Jun 05 13

LCRA in Opted-In Area

• LCRA owns three irrigation districts in AEP Texas Central Company

• Since market opened, LCRA buys from another provider; AEP is Transmission and Distribution Service Provider (TDSP)

6 Jun 05 14

Three Irrigation Districts

6 Jun 05 15

Responsibilities

• AEP owns, tests, and services meters

• LCRA owns and oversees phone link

• LCRA uses data

6 Jun 05 16

LCRA & AEP Texas Central Company

BILLING DATA

METERCPL/AEP

(MSP)

END USECUSTOMER

(LCRA)

METERSMART(MDMA)

ERCOT

GENERATIONKWH MONTHLY

WEB DAILY

REP

CPL/AEP(MDMA,TDSP)

GENERATIONTRANSMISSION

DISTRIBUTIONMONTHLY

GENERATIONKWHMONTHLY

6 Jun 05 17

Value of Data

• kWh / AcFt by plant

• kWh / AcFt by pump

• River Plant has 2 inefficient motors

6 Jun 05 18

LCRA in Austin

• Until April 2003, LCRA’s energy use in Austin was netted vs. generation at shared plants

• Transmission Services’ center now gets a bill

6 Jun 05 19

LCRA & Austin Energy

METERAUSTINENERGY

(MSP)

END USECUSTOMER

(LCRA)

UDR(MDMA)

AUSTINENERGYBILLING

AUSTINENERGY(MDMA)

BILLING DATA

MONTHLY

WEB DAILY

MONTHLY

DAILY

6 Jun 05 20

Communications

“My allegiance goes to the first guy who shows me something that works.”

Leon Henderson, LCRA

6 Jun 05 21

We’re Guinea Pigs

Questions?