How to Access and Use PowerGADS

The test year 2023 (field #1) is for the 2023-2024 Plan Year and the Test Dates (fields #14 and 15) should be between September 1, 2021, and August 31, 2022.  The GVTC data for the year 2023 should be submitted by October 31, 2022.

Net Test Capacity (field #13) is Gross (field #10) less Station Service and Process Load Served.  See examples in the table below.

• Station Service (field #11), sometimes called auxiliary power or parasitic load, is the portion of gross power that is consumed on-site typically by motors for pumps, compressors, fans, and material handling systems, as well as house loads such as lighting, HVAC, etc.  Station power varies by unit.
• Process Load Served (field #12), sometimes called cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP), is typically steam or power used by an adjacent industrial facility.
•  If station service or process load served are not applicable to your unit enter zero “0”.

                                            

Reactive Generation MVAR (field #16) is optional data and may have a positive “+” or negative “- “sign.  If MVAR values are entered, the application will calculate Total Power MVA and Power Factor.

• Total Power MVA (field #17) is the vector sum of Gross Power MW and Reactive Generation MVAR. 
  Example – For 280.0 gross MW and -15.0 MVAR, total power is 280.4 MVA or 280.4=280.02+-152
         
• Power Factor (field #18) is gross MW divided by total power MVA. Example – For 280.0 gross MW and 280.4 MVA, the power factor is 0.9986.

With the implementation of the Seasonal Construct, you will continue to conduct only one test (Observed), but it will now be corrected to the expected peak (Rated) conditions for each of the four seasons – Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring.

Seasonal Corrected Net Test Capacity (fields #2 through 5) are the Net Test Capacity (field #13), at the Observed conditions (Field #19), corrected to the average historical (Rated) unit conditions (fields #20 through 23) on the day of the MISO seasonal peaks for air temperature, relative humidity, and cooling water temperature.

•  For example, the MISO Coincident Fall 2021 peak occurred on September 20, 2021, during hour ending 1700 EST as shown in the Historical Monthly Seasonal Peak Dates and Times MISO LRZ spreadsheet available at www.misoenergy.org > Planning > Resource Adequacy > PRA Documents > PY 23-24. Note - MISO provides updated Historical Monthly Seasonal Peak Dates and Times for each Planning Year in the same location. 
          
• Dry Bulb Air Temperature and Relative Humidity (fields #24 through 27) corrections in MW apply only to combustion turbine (CT) and combined cycle (CC) unit types. 
  • For a CC, these corrections only apply to the CT portion of the unit. 
  • Dry Bulb Air Temperature and Relative Humidity will be corrected to the unit’s past five years’ average dry bulb air temperature and relative humidity measured at the date and time of the MISO Seasonal Peaks.  (See Dry Bulb Air Temperature and Relative Humidity Correction Example at misoenergy.org > Planning > Resource Adequacy > RA Guides and References.)
     
• Cooling Water Temperature (fields #24 through 27) corrections in MW only apply to units with a steam turbine, i.e., units affected by turbine exhaust pressure – combined cycle (CC), fluidized bed combustion (FB), nuclear (NU) and fossil steam (ST). 
  • For a CC this correction only applies to the ST portion of the unit. 
  • Cooling Water Temperature will be corrected to the unit’s past five years’ average daily maximum circulating water temperature measured at the date and time of the MISO Seasonal Peaks.  (See Cooling Water Temperature Correction Example which can be found at misoenergy.org > Planning > Resource Adequacy > RA Guides and References.
• Corrections are in MW and may have a positive “+” or negative “- “sign.  If any of these corrections are not applicable to your unit enter zero “0” in the correction field.

Seasonal XEFORd (fields #6 through 9) is the XEFORd for the 3 seasonal months for the 3 years ending August 31 prior to the start of the Planning Year.  For example, the Spring Seasonal XEFORd for 2023 is calculated using the unit’s GADS data for the months of March, April, and May for the years 2020 through 2022.

Additional information and examples can be found in the Resource Adequacy Business Practices Manual BPM-011 in Section 4.2 Planning Resources and Appendix J – GVTC Testing Requirements.