Transmission Must-Run service
Transmission Must-Run (TMR) is generation that is required to be online and operating at specific levels in parts of the province's electricity system to compensate for insufficient local transmission infrastructure relative to local demand. TMR is used to ensure reliability until adequate transmission infrastructure is built in that local area.
Given the location-specific nature of TMR, only specific units in Alberta may be required to provide TMR. The AESO may enter into a contract with these units when long-term requirements for TMR are identified.
TMR procurement competition
Ancillary services, such as TMR, keep the transmission system running reliably and securely. These services are procured by the AESO in a fair, open, efficient, and competitive manner to the extent that a procurement is contestable between market participants.
Following the identification of a foreseeable need for TMR service in the AESO’s Grande Prairie planning area, a two-stage procurement competition based on the procedure set out in Appendix B of the ISO Tariff, was conducted to enter into a commercial agreement for TMR service. The service period commenced on July 1, 2022, and is for a three-year term.
The Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) stage, which launched in March 2022 and included a stakeholder information session, assisted the AESO in identifying parties interested in participating in the competition. The Request for Proposals (RFP) stage opened in April 2022 and closed in May 2022. A contract was awarded in June 2022.
The TMR procurement was overseen by a Fairness Advisor at every stage to ensure the competition was administered in a fair and transparent manner, and adhered to all confidentiality requirements, policies and guidelines.
To read the Fairness Advisor’s report for the 2022 TMR procurement, please click here.
TMR service procurement competition documents
- TMR Request for Proposals [Posted: July 13, 2022]
- TMR Final Agreement [Posted: July 13, 2022]
- TMR Procurement Questions & Answers [Updated: March 29, 2022]
- Presentation | TMR Procurement Information Session [Posted: March 15, 2022]
- Webinar Audio | TMR Procurement Information Session [Posted: March 14, 2022]
- TMR Request for Expressions of Interest Document [Posted: March 7, 2022]
- TMR Service Expression of Interest Form [Posted: March 7, 2022]
- TMR Procurement Competition Backgrounder [Posted: March 2, 2022]
Please direct any comments or questions about the TMR procurement competition to TMR@aeso.ca
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TMR Resources
In order to compensate for the effect that TMR generators may have on pool price, we use a service called Dispatch Down Service (DDS) whereby eligible generators receive a payment for reducing generation levels or dispatching off in proportion to the amount of TMR online when the system marginal price is less than a TMR “reference price." ISO rules Section 204 provides a detailed description of DDS.
- ISO rule 204.1 – Offers for the Dispatch Down Services
- ISO rule 204.2 – Issuing Dispatches for Dispatch Down Services
- ISO rule 204.3 – Dispatch Down Service Restatements
Compensation for unforeseeable TMR
When the AESO directs a market participant to provide TMR and a market participant does not have a contract with the AESO to provide the service, then the amount paid as compensation is determined in accordance with section 8 of the AESO tariff.
In order to receive compensation, the following documents must be submitted to the AESO (aspayables@aeso.ca) on a timely basis:
(1) Customer invoice
a. Indicating the date of the Unforeseen TMR event
b. Submitted by the legal entity owning the generation that provided the service
(2) Calculation spreadsheet (Excel format)
a. Deemed values will be used unless necessary supporting material is provided to justify use of actual values
