If you sent your January-December 2011 GADS data to NERC, Mike Curley might send you an Error Log for your units where the Error says "Loading?". 

It is indicating that the “Typical Unit Loading Characteristics” data field is missing.

For 2012, this performance data field is voluntary, but for 2011 NERC is expecting this field to be provided even though NERC has never, to the best of our knowledge, used the Typical Unit Loading Characteristics data for anything even though you submit it.

To provide the necessary data for 2011, simply check the “Write ALL Data Including Voluntary to NERC” box shown on the two other attachments, recreate the GADS 05/07 files, and resend to NERC.

Starting in 2012 you have the option to send to NERC the full data set or just the mandatory data by respectively checking or not checking that box. 

Once you have either checked it or unchecked it, the software saves your “last” setting so that it will have the same setting the next time you run the software.

The question has been raised about SAP Crystal Reports licensing with GADS Open Source.

SAP does NOT require that you purchase licenses for Crystal Reports when running our GADS Open Source reports.  This applies as well as for reports from any other client application built with Microsoft’s Visual Studio 2010 that uses Crystal Reports (reference: http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/70bd6328-4128-2d10-7882-d7b95418dbaa?QuickLink=index&overridelayout=true ).

NERC has just this morning completed the release of the final GADS changes for 2012. 

We know that Mike Curley, Manager of GADS Services, made changes to the Data Reporting Instructions (DRI) that included new cause codes after the October 2011 Workshop. 

We will need time to review the revisions and make and test any resultant code changes.

As a result, we currently expect to post the next major release to the download sites on December 16, 2011 ... it will have all of the NERC mandated changes for 2012.

You will get a follow-up email when the update is posted.