PROGRAMS

Programs are the functions ColumbiaGrid carries out, and they are the building blocks for the organization's business plan.  Each program is defined in a separate Agreement, a legal contract among the signing parties.  Entities do not have to be members of ColumbiaGrid to sign on as a participant in any program, and they do not have to sign up for more than one program unless they choose to do so.  Funding for each program is kept and accounted for separately.

Mission, Vision & Values

Timeframe:
Status: Active
ColumbiaGrid is a membership non-profit corporation providing regional grid planning in the Northwest portion of the Western Interconnection that strives for excellence and exists to:

ensure and enhance the reliability of the transmission grid via collaborative, cooperative, cost-effective, efficient and insightful long-term regional transmission ('grid') expansion planning consistent with planning and reliability standards (i.e. our Core services); and

analyze, develop, or facilitate solutions relating to the improved use or expansion of the transmission grid (i.e. our Non-Core services). more...

ColumbiaGrid Bylaws
ColumbiaGrid Annual Reports


Enter Program >>

Grid Reliability & Expansion Planning (Core Services Overview)

Timeframe: April 2007 - Ongoing
Status: Active

ColumbiaGrid is one of the four U.S. regional transmission planning entities in the Western Interconnection. The mission of ColumbiaGrid’s grid expansion planning is to identify potential needs and to determine reasonable solutions, or mitigations, pertaining to the reliable long-term planning and use of the Members’ and Qualified Non-Member Parties interconnected transmission systems. In short, ColumbiaGrid’s core grid expansion planning process seeks to answer these fundamental questions:

What, Where, and When are the potential future reliability needs of the grid (i.e. independently assessing needs)?

What and Which cost-effective and efficient projects should be built to mitigate or solve the reliability needs (i.e. regional collaboration to develop solutions)?

Who should build, benefits from, and should pay for the projects (i.e. allocating costs)?

ColumbiaGrid's transmission planning mission and process is defined and enabled by the Planning and Expansion Functional Agreement (“PEFA”) and works in conjunction with the regulatory overlay of the Order 1000 Functional Agreement to enable ColumbiaGrid’s Planning Parties to meet, and go beyond, their respective FERC Order 890 or Order 1000 requirements.

Planning and Expansion Agreement

Order 1000 Agreement

Order 1000 Regional

Order 1000 Interregional

Enter Program >>

Planning-Related Services (Non-core Services)

Timeframe: Current
Status: Active
ColumbiaGrid is committed to assisting its Members in all areas related to grid reliability and continually seeks new opportunities to provide additional value to the Members beyond the scope of ColumbiaGrid's core grid planning services. These 'non-core' services leverage ColumbiaGrid's core expertise and tools via separate agreements. Past examples include:

Independent Panel Review of Bonneville's Proposed South of Allston Project

Independent Technical Review of Physical Security Facilities Analyses (CIP-014)

California-Oregon Intertie Variable Transfer Limits Analyses

more...

Enter Program >>