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Real Power Loss Return
BPA Transmission Business Practice
Version 17
10/2/2023
Transmission Business Practice 10/2/23 1
B O N N E V I L L E P O W E R A D M I N I S T R A T I O N
Real Power Loss Return
Version 17
This business practice defines the process and guidelines for Customers who must return Real
Power Losses to BPA.
BPA Policy References
• Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT): Section 15.7; 28.5; Schedule 11;
Attachment Q
• Transmission Rate Schedules/Provisions: Section II.J; II.K
See the Energy Imbalance Market (EIM) Business Practice for information on Real Power
Losses associated with the EIM Transfers.
For more information, visit the BPA Transmission Business Practices webpage
or submit
questions to t[email protected].
Table of Contents
A. General Criteria................................................................................................................... 1
B. Real Power Loss Return Services ....................................................................................... 3
C. Real Power Loss Return Service Election ........................................................................... 4
D. Calculation and Posting of Real Power Losses ................................................................... 5
E. Return of Real Power Losses and Loss Imbalance ............................................................. 5
F. Reservation and Scheduling of Real Power Loss Returns .................................................. 6
G. Invalid Loss Return Penalty (ILRP) Charge ......................................................................... 7
H. Real Power Loss Returns under Non-OATT Agreements ................................................... 8
A. General Criteria
1. All Customers are required to return Real Power Losses in accordance with the BPA
OATT and this business practice, with the following exceptions:
a. A Customer with a Regional Dialogue contract with BPA Power Services that has
elected the Load-Following or Block products will have transmission losses
included as part of its power sales contract for its Net Requirement power
purchase from BPA.
i. The Customer must return Real Power Losses and follow the
requirements in this business practice for Transmission Service for
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delivery of any non-federal generation and the Slice portion of its
Slice/Block product, as applicable.
b. A Customer with resources that are delivered to its load without using the BPA
Transmission System will not be required to return losses for the delivery of
those resources. An example is a generator behind the meter where all the
output is used to serve load on the Customer’s side of the meter.
c. A Customer taking Transmission Service from BPA on the Montana Intertie will
not be required to return Real Power Losses to BPA in association with such
service. BPA is neither the Balancing Authority Area operator nor the loss
provider for the Montana Intertie.
d. A Customer will not be assessed losses for the following uses of the BPA
Transmission System:
i. Self Supply or Third Party Supply of Operating Reserves.
ii. Self Supply or Third Party Supply of Balancing Reserves.
iii. Schedules utilized for Bilateral Redispatch for congestion management.
e. If a Customer purchases the same Firm or Non-Firm product on the Network to
or from John Day and then over the Malin 230/Hilltop 345 path, BPA will consider
this a single Network use of the Network paths for purposes of determining the
Customer’s Real Power Losses.
f. Procedures and requirements for the return of Real Power Losses under non-
OATT agreements specifying the return of in-kind power 168 hours after the use
of the BPA Transmission System are specified in Section H of this business
practice.
2. A third-party Real Power Loss Provider who is also a BPA Power Services’ Regional
Dialogue Slice/Block Customer may supply losses from Slice Output.
3. Real Power Loss Returns cannot be scheduled in less than hourly increments.
4. Real Power Loss Returns cannot be scheduled using the loss profile on the same
e-Tags as the Customer’s contractual use of the BPA Transmission System.
5. Nothing in this business practice is intended to supersede the provisions of any non-
OATT agreement related to use of the BPA Transmission System that govern the
calculation or return of Real Power Losses.
6. Nothing is this business practice affects a Customer’s responsibility to comply with
scheduling timelines and requirements of the EIM or the applicability of any EIM
charges.
7. Any applicable rates or charges in the Transmission, Ancillary and Control Area Service
Rates Schedules, including the Unauthorized Increase Charge and the Invalid Loss
Return Penalty (ILRP) Charge, will be applied to the return of Real Power Losses.
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B. Real Power Loss Return Services
1. A Customer must elect one of the following Real Power Loss Return Services:
a. In-Kind Loss Return Service: the return of Real Power Losses through the
physical delivery of in-kind power to BPA on one or more e-Tags concurrent with
the Customer’s use of the BPA Transmission System.
i. In the event a Customer designates one or more third-party Real Power
Loss Providers, the Customer remains responsible for compliance with
the requirements of this business practice and its obligation to return Real
Power Losses, including any associated charges or penalties under the
Transmission, Ancillary, and Control Area Rate Schedules.
ii. In-Kind Loss Returns must be from a Customer-designated Control Area,
system, or generator interconnected with the Network segment. A
Customer may elect to be its own Real Power Loss Provider if it has its
own generation and is interconnected with a BPA Network segment.
1. If a generator is down for any reason, the Customer must continue
to deliver energy either by scheduling an alternative Source back
through that generator, or from another provider, tagged to
BPALOSS (SINK) to ensure that In-Kind losses are returned as
scheduled.
2. No charge loss reservation types will be subject to the Available
Flowgate Capability (AFC)/Available Transfer Capability (ATC)
checks.
a. New reservations to return losses affecting external
interconnections or interties may be REFUSED due to lack
of ATC. If REFUSED, Customers are expected to return
their Loss Obligations.
b. Requests to return losses not affecting external
interconnections or interties will be ACCEPTED,
regardless of AFC.
3. No Charge transmission reservations cannot be redirected or
resold.
b. Financial Loss Return Service: the return of Real Power Losses through the
purchase of power from BPA Power Services consistent with the current Power
Rates Schedules and General Rate Schedule Provisions and any applicable
agreements.
i. To qualify for Financial Loss Return Service, a Customer must timely
execute and renew any applicable agreement(s) with BPA Power
Services for the purchase of Real Power Losses.
ii. A Customer must contact a Trader from BPA Power Services at
or 503-230-4111 to arrange for purchase of Real
Power Losses from BPA Power Services.
iii. A Customer electing Financial Loss Return Service will be billed monthly
on its transmission bill.
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c. Slice Output Loss Return Service: the return of Real Power Losses by a
Customer with a Regional Dialogue Slice/Block power sales agreement through
an adjustment to the Customer’s Slice Output Energy concurrent with the
Customer’s use of the BPA Transmission System.
C. Real Power Loss Return Service Election
1. A Customer is responsible for having a completed Notification of Real Power Loss
Return Service form on file with BPA. Once a Customer has elected and met any other
requirements to qualify for a particular Real Power Loss Return Service, the Customer
will continue that form of service until the Customer elects and qualifies for a different
service or defaults to In-Kind Loss Return Service for reasons described in Section C.5.
2. A prospective Customer must elect a Real Power Loss Return Service by submitting a
completed Notification of Real Power Loss Return Service form to RPLPForm@bpa.gov
and its assigned Transmission Account Executive at the time it submits an Application
package as part of the New Customer Application Process.
3. In the event of any changes to the information for a Customer’s Real Power Loss
Provider, the Customer must submit an updated Notification of Real Power Loss Return
Service form at least 30 Calendar Days prior to the change.
a. Before the Customer submits the updated Notification of Real Power Loss Return
Service form, any third-party Real Power Loss Provider must fill out appropriate
forms to gain access to the OATI Customer Data Entry (CDE) system. See the
CDE section of the Customer Training webpage
.
4. Except as provided in Section C.6, a Customer may not change its Real Power Loss
Return Service within a fiscal year but may elect a different Real Power Loss Return
Service for the next fiscal year.
a. To elect a different Real Power Loss Return Service for the next fiscal year, a
Customer must submit a completed Notification of Real Power Loss Return
Service form to [email protected]
by August 31
st
or the next Business Day
prior to the start of the next fiscal year.
b. In order for a Customer to qualify for Financial Loss Return service for the next
fiscal year, the Customer must have executed any applicable agreement(s) with
BPA Power Services by August 31
st
or the next Business Day prior to the start of
the next fiscal year.
5. A Customer that fails to timely submit or maintain an election of Real Power Loss Return
Service on file with BPA, or that fails to timely execute or renew any applicable
agreement(s) with BPA Power Services required for Financial Loss Return Service, will
default to In-Kind Loss Return Service.
6. A Customer that defaults to In-Kind Loss Return Service due to the failure to timely
renew any applicable agreement(s) with BPA Power Services required for Financial Loss
Return Service may submit a written request to its assigned Transmission Account
Executive to switch to Financial Loss Return Service before the end of the fiscal year.
BPA will inform the Customer if it can grant the request. If BPA does not grant the
request, the Customer will remain on In-Kind Loss Return Service unless and until the
Customer elects a different loss return service in accordance with Section C.4.
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7. BPA may refuse requests for service or restrict a Customer’s ability to schedule
transmission if the Customer does not have a completed Notification of Real Power Loss
Return Service form on file with BPA, has not otherwise qualified for a Real Power Loss
Return Service, or is not returning Real Power Losses in accordance with the BPA
OATT and this business practice.
D. Calculation and Posting of Real Power Losses
1. BPA will calculate a Customer’s hourly aggregated Real Power Losses in whole
megawatts using the applicable Real Power Loss factor in Schedule 11 of the BPA
OATT and standard rounding conventions. The calculation will account for all Confirmed
or Implemented e-Tags under the Customer’s Service Agreement for the hour and actual
data or other information that references the Service Agreement.
a. For Financial Return Loss Return Service, BPA will calculate a Customer’s hourly
aggregated Real Power Losses in kilowatts.
2. The calculated amount of a Customer’s Real Power Losses, along with any kilowatt
remainders resulting from rounding to whole megawatts, will be posted on the CDE
system. Amounts posted before the calculation of the T-30 and T-85 Loss Return
Obligations described in Section E are preliminary in nature and made available for
planning and reference purposes.
a. Between 00:00 and 21:00 of the PreSchedule day, the Real Power Losses for
each remaining hour of the current day and the following five (5) Calendar Days
will be posted four times per hour.
b. Between 21:00 of the night prior to the RealTime day and the close of the
RealTime Day, the Real Power Losses for the next hour and the two following
hours will be posted once per minute. The final one minute posting will be at T-30
prior to each hour of flow.
c. Between the start of each hour of flow and 180 hours after each hour of flow, an
adjusted Real Power Losses amount will be posted for all previous hours of the
current day and each hour for the previous five (5) Calendar Days.
3. In order to gain access to the CDE system, Customers and Real Power Loss Providers
must follow the requirements in the CDE User Guide
.
4. The Real Power Losses can be accessed using either the CDE interface or Application
Programmatic Interface (API). For technical assistance to access data, send an email to
.
E. Return of Real Power Losses and Loss Imbalance
1. For In-Kind Loss Return Service, the Customer must return to BPA, in accordance with
the reservation and scheduling requirements in Section F, an amount of in-kind power
equal to the Real Power Losses calculated as of 30 minutes (T-30) prior to each hour of
flow (the “T-30 Loss Return Obligation”).
a. The difference between the amount of in-kind power returned and the adjusted
Real Power Losses calculated at T+180, posted by BPA will contribute towards
the Customer’s total loss imbalance for the hour.
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2. For Financial Loss Return Service, the Customer must purchase from BPA Power
Services, in accordance with any applicable agreements and the current Power Rates
Schedules and General Rate Schedule Provisions, an amount of energy equal to the
calculated Real Power Losses.
3. For Slice Output Loss Return Service, the Customer will return Real Power Losses
through an adjustment to the Customer’s Slice Output Energy Schedule for the hour of
flow equal to the Real Power Losses calculated as of 85 minutes (T-85) prior to the hour
of flow (the “T-85 Loss Return Obligation”).
a. Any kilowatt remainders resulting from rounding the T-85 Loss Return Obligation
to whole megawatts will be stored per hour and contribute towards the loss
imbalance for the hour.
b. All events occurring after T-85 that result in a change in the amount of the T-85
Loss Return Obligation will contribute towards the loss imbalance for the hour.
These events include but are not limited to e-Tag Energy Profile adjustments,
new intra-hour e-Tags, Reliability Events, and after the fact adjustments.
c. Any difference between the T-85 Loss Return Obligation and the amount
returned using the Customer’s Slice Right to Power (RTP) will contribute towards
the loss imbalance for the hour.
4. The total loss imbalance for each hour will be settled financially under the Real Power
Loss Imbalance Settlement rate in the Transmission Rate Schedules.
a. The total loss imbalance for an hour will be settled financially regardless of any
waiver by BPA, under the Oversupply Management Protocol, of the obligation to
physically deliver in-kind power for the return of Real Power Losses for that hour.
b. BPA will waive the loss imbalance portion of the obligation to return Real Power
Losses for any hour in which the price in the Real Power Loss Imbalance
Settlement rate schedule is negative.
c. If BPA determines the posted T-30 or T-85 Loss Return Obligation was
inaccurate due to a software issue, the difference between the posted obligation
and the corrected amount will contribute towards the total loss imbalance in a
future billing month and will be settled financially in that month in accordance with
the Real Power Loss Imbalance Settlement in the Transmission Rate Schedules.
F. Reservation and Scheduling of Real Power Loss Returns
1. In-Kind Loss Return Service.
a. A Customer electing In-Kind Loss Return Service must reserve Firm or Non-Firm
transmission for its loss returns using one of the following procedures:
i. No Charge Reservation.
1. To reserve a No Charge Reservation in OASIS, go to the
Reservation Summary screen and select "F-Daily Loss Return",
"F-Hourly Loss Return", or “NF-Concurrent Loss Return” service.
2. For submittal timelines for the No Charge Reservation, see the
Requesting Transmission Service Business Practice
.
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3. A No Charge Reservation must show the Real Power Loss
Provider as the POR and BPAPOWER as the POD.
ii. Daily or Hourly Firm Service purchased at Preschedule.
iii. Hourly Non-firm Service purchased in Real-time.
b. All e-Tags for loss returns must be submitted by T-20 prior to the start of flow.
When BPA is in the EIM, EIM scheduling timelines will apply independent of the
deadline for submission of e-Tags for loss returns. After T-57, new e-Tags or
e-Tag adjustments will be subject to EIM settlement.
c. If the e-Tag for the loss return specifies the same Network POR as the Service
Agreement under which the losses were incurred, the Customer may return
losses under the same Service Agreement on unused firm Reserved Capacity.
d. Unused Reserved Capacity on a reservation for Transmission Service on the
Southern Intertie cannot be used for loss returns under In-Kind Loss Return
Service.
e. The OASIS Reference field of the e-Tag must reference either the:
i. AREF of the No Charge Reservation request for a loss return. The Sale
Ref of the No Charge Reservation must be the same as the Customer’s
Service Agreement for which losses are being returned; or
ii. The Customer’s Service Agreement under which the losses were
incurred.
f. No Product Suffix Code is required on e-Tags for loss returns under In-Kind Loss
Return Service.
g. The e-Tag must have BPAPOWER as the POD on the transmission segment
immediately preceding BPALOSS as the sink.
h. All Short-Term Firm Transmission Service Requests, including requests to return
losses, will be processed in queue order.
i. Requests to return losses using the No Charge Reservation type will not be
subject to competition.
2. A Customer electing Slice Output Loss Return Service is not required to submit a No
Charge Reservation when utilizing RTP to provide Real Power Loss Returns. Losses will
be deducted from the Customer’s share of Slice Output for the hour of service, prior to
making the share available for scheduling at T-85.
G. Invalid Loss Return Penalty (ILRP) Charge
1. The ILRP Charge applies when a Customer with In-Kind Loss Return Service returns a
different quantity of Real Power Losses via Confirmed e-Tag than the Customer’s T-30
Loss Return Obligation.
2. For any hour in which BPA has waived, under the Oversupply Management Protocol, the
obligation to physically deliver in-kind power for the return of Real Power Losses, the
Customer will not be subject to the ILRP Charge.
3. Waiver or Reduction of an IRLP Charge:
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a. A Customer may request a waiver or reduction of an ILRP Charge in accordance
with the Transmission Rate Schedules. The request must be submitted in writing
to the Customer’s assigned Transmission Account Executive and include all of
the information necessary to demonstrate it satisfies the criteria for a waiver or
reduction in the Transmission Rate Schedules. The Customer should make best
efforts to submit the request within 60 Calendar Days from the transmission bill
date with the ILRP Charge.
b. Upon receipt of a request for waiver or reduction, BPA will evaluate the request
and decide whether to grant the request. If a waiver or reduction is granted, BPA
will issue the Customer an appropriate credit as soon as practicable.
4. For Customers electing Slice Output Loss Return Service, invalid loss returns will be
addressed as specified in the applicable agreement.
H. Real Power Loss Returns under Non-OATT Agreements
1. This Section applies to the return of Real Power Losses under non-OATT agreements
that require the return of electric power 168 hours after the use of the BPA Transmission
System.
2. Calculating and Posting the Real Power Losses.
a. On the Business Day before the WECC preschedule day, BPA will calculate, and
post on the CDE system, the amount of the Customer’s Real Power Losses for
each hour.
b. The Real Power Losses will be calculated for return 168 hours after the
Customer’s original use of transmission service.
c. When calculating the Real Power Losses for an hour, any kilowatt remainder
above a whole megawatt will be carried forward and added to the Real Power
Losses for the next hour.
d. BPA may recalculate the hourly Real Power Losses after the Business Day in
which the amount is posted to CDE to account for any changes that occur after
the initial posting. Any difference in the amount resulting from the recalculation
will be accounted for in the loss return obligation calculated in a future like hour
and day.
e. BPA will account for any Real Power Loss Returns that are curtailed in the
calculation of the Real Power Losses for a future like hour and day, HLH or LLH,
to be returned by the Customer.
3. The Customer or its third-party Real Power Loss Provider must use the CDE system to
access the Customer’s Real Power Loss obligations.
4. All e-Tags must be submitted for the WECC Preschedule Day no later than 15:00:00
PPT and must reference the appropriate Product Suffix Code:
a. Point-to-Point Service Agreement – LP
b. Network Integration Service Agreement – L3
c. Formula Power Transmission contract – L2
d. Southern Intertie owners and Non-Federal participant’s (NFP) – L7
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e. Northern Intertie owners - L9
5. Loss reconciliations.
a. At the end of each Delivery Month, after BPA has balanced with WECC, BPA will
work with the Customer to identify and reconcile any difference between losses
incurred and losses returned resulting from changes made to schedules or actual
data. Adjustment records for reconciliation of losses are available to the
Customer in its daily loss report in CDE.
when loss reconciliation has
been finalized for a Delivery Month. BPA and the Customer, however, may agree
to adjust final reconciled losses if, within three (3) years, either party discovers a
reconciliation error resulting from source data errors (e.g., meters, tags, loss
database) programming errors, or other clear error. Any errors of this type must
be corroborated by data from both BPA and the Customer.
