December
FERC approves a revised Reliability Standard, PRC-005-2 – Protection System Maintenance, which supersedes four existing Reliability Standards, PRC-005-1.1b (Transmission and Generation Protection System Maintenance and Testing), PRC-008-0 (Underfrequency Load Shedding Equipment Maintenance), PRC-011-0 (Undervoltage Load Shedding Equipment Maintenance) and PRC-017-0 (Special Protection System Maintenance and Testing). FERC also directs NERC to modify the violation severity level for certain violations of Requirement R1. December 19, 2013 Order No. 793.
November
FERC approves WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2 (Contingency Reserve), retires the currently-effective WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-STD-002-0 (Operating Reserves) and removes two WECC Regional Definitions, “Non-Spinning Reserve” and “Spinning Reserve,” from the NERC Glossary of Terms. November 21, 2013 Order No. 789.
FERC approves the retirement of the 34 requirements that either provide little protection for Bulk-Power System reliability or are redundant with other aspects of the Reliability Standards. In addition, the Final Rule withdraws 41 outstanding Commission directives that make NERC develop modifications to Reliability Standards that have been addressed in some other manner, are redundant with another directive, or provide general guidance as opposed to a specific directive. November 21, 2013 Order No. 788.
FERC seeks comments on proposed revisions to the Transmission Operations (TOP) and Interconnection Reliability Operations and Coordination (IRO) Reliability Standards. November 21, 2013 NOPR.
FERC approves Version 5 Critical Infrastructure Protection Reliability Standards, CIP-002-5 through CIP-011-1 and nineteen new or revised definitions associated with the CIP version 5 Standards for inclusion in the Glossary of Terms Used in NERC Reliability Standards. November 22, 2013 Order No. 791.
October
FERC Approves Transmission Planning Reliability Standard TPL-001-4, which includes a provision that would allow a transmission planner to plan for non-consequential load loss, i.e., load-shedding following a single contingency. October 17, 2013 Order No. 786.
September
This NOPR, FERC proposes to approve NERC’s proposed Reliability Standards MOD-025-2, MOD-026-1, MOD-027-1, PRC-019-1, and PRC-024-1. The purpose of the proposed Reliability Standards is to ensure that generators remain in operation during specified voltage and frequency excursions, properly coordinate protective relays and generator voltage controls, and ensure that generator models accurately reflect generator capabilities and equipment performance. In the NOPR FERC seeks comment regarding higher applicability thresholds for proposed Reliability Standards MOD-026-1 and MOD-027-1, and the provision allowing transmission planners to compel certain generator owners to comply with MOD-026-1 if the generator owner is deemed to have “technically justified” units, even if they fall below the stated applicability. September 19, 2013 NOPR.
This final rule approves modifications to four existing Reliability. Specifically, FERC approves Reliability Standards FAC-001-1 (Facility Connection Requirements), FAC-003-3 (Transmission Vegetation Management), PRC-004-2.1a (Analysis and Mitigation of Transmission and Generation Protection System Misoperations), and PRC-005-1.1b (Transmission and Generation Protection System Maintenance and Testing). The modifications improve reliability either by extending applicability of the Reliability Standard to certain generator interconnection facilities, or by clarifying that the existing Reliability Standard is and remains applicable to generator interconnection facilities. FERC also approves the related Violation Risk Factors and Violation Severity Levels, as well as the implementation plan and effective dates proposed by NERC. September 19, 2013 Order No. 785.
July
This NOPR proposes approval of WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2 (Contingency Reserve) submitted by NERC and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC). The NOPR also proposes to retire the currently-effective WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-STD-002-0 (Operating Reserves) and to remove two WECC Regional Definitions, “Non-Spinning Reserve” and “Spinning Reserve,” from the NERC Glossary of Terms. In addition, the NOPR proposes to direct NERC to submit an informational filing after the first two years of implementation of regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2 containing data that addresses the adequacy of contingency reserve in the Western Interconnection. July 18, 2013 NOPR.
The NOPR proposes to approve a revised Reliability Standard, PRC-005-2 – Protection System Maintenance, to supersede four existing Reliability Standards related to maintenance and testing of protection systems and of underfrequency and undervoltage load shedding equipment. In addition, the NOPR seeks clarification and comment on three aspects of the proposed Reliability Standard: (A) verification of operability and setting upon placement in-service of new or modified protection systems; (B) use of a four percent target for countable events in performance-based programs; and (C) correcting unresolved maintenance issues. The NOPR also proposes to direct NERC to change the violation severity level for one type of Requirement R1 violation. July 18, 2013 NOPR.
FERC approves revisions to Modeling, Data, and Analysis (MOD) Reliability Standard MOD-028-2, submitted by NERC. The revised Reliability Standard represents an improvement over MOD-028-1 because the revised standard clarifies the timing and frequency of Total Transfer Capability calculations needed for Available Transfer Capability calculations. FERC also approves NERC’s proposed implementation plan and retirement of the currently-effective standard. July 18, 2013 Order No. 782.
The NOPR seeks comment on Reliability Standard BAL-003-1 (Frequency Response and Frequency Bias Setting), submitted by NERC. The proposed reliability standard defines the necessary amount of frequency response needed for reliable operations for each balancing authority within an interconnection. While the order proposes to approve proposed Reliability Standard BAL-003-1, the Commission also has concerns about certain provisions of the proposed reliability standard and, therefore, the NOPR proposes that NERC submit a report and develop modifications to address the identified concerns. July 18, 2013 NOPR.
June
FERC accepts NERC’s compliance filing on its implementation of the Find, Fix, Track and Report (FFT) program and approves most enhancements to the FFT program, subject to conditions. June 20, 2013 Decision.
FERC approves a revised Reliability Standard on Event Reporting, EOP-004-2, which would replace two existing Reliability Standards, Disturbance Reporting and Sabotage Reporting. The revised standard requires responsible entities to report events to relevant entities, including law enforcement, within a 24-hour period. June 20, 2013 Decision.
FERC seeks comment on retirement of the 34 requirements that either provide little protection for Bulk-Power System reliability or are redundant with other aspects of the Reliability Standards. June 20, 2013 NOPR.
FERC conditionally grants the Western Electricity Coordinating Council’s (WECC) petition for declaratory order regarding WECC’s plan to establish a separate, independent company (RC Company) to perform the reliability coordinator function in the WECC region. June 20, 2013 Decision.
May
FERC seeks comment on remanding the proposed interpretation of Reliability Standard BAL-002-1, Disturbance Control Performance, Requirements R4 and R5, back to NERC because it changes a requirement of the Reliability Standard, thereby exceeding the permissible scope for interpretations. May 16, 2013 NOPR.
FERC seeks comment on this draft supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) that proposes to approve Transmission Planning Reliability Standard TPL-001-4, which includes a provision that would allow a transmission planner to plan for non-consequential load loss, i.e., load-shedding following a single contingency. May 16, 2013 NOPR.
FERC directs NERC, pursuant to the Commission’s authority under section 215(d)(5) of the Federal Power Act, to develop Reliability Standards, in two stages, that address the risks posed by geomagnetic disturbances to the reliable operation of the Bulk-Power System. This final rule largely adopts the NOPR, with the principal exception that the deadline for NERC to submit the First Stage GMD Reliability Standards is extended from 90 days to six months and the deadline for submitting the Second Stage GMD Reliability Standards is extended from six months to one year. May 16, 2013 Order No. 779.
April
FERC denies rehearing in part, grants rehearing in part and otherwise reaffirms its determinations in the Final Rule approving NERC’s modifications to the currently-effective definition of “bulk electric system.” The order denies rehearing on the decision in the final rule to include generator interconnection facilities connected to bulk electric system generators in the bulk electric system but grants rehearing on the process to effectuate that change by directing NERC to modify the definition pursuant to FPA section 215(d)(5). In addition, the order denies rehearing on whether the Commission provided adequate rationale in directing NERC to not allow looped configurations of radial systems to be eligible for exclusion from the bulk electric system. The order also clarifies the functions of the NERC exception process and the Commission’s decision to exclusively adjudicate local distribution determinations. April 18, 2013 Order No. 773-A.
FERC seeks comments on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) addressing Generator Requirements at the Transmission Interface. This NOPR proposes to approve revisions to four Reliability Standards designed to address the perceived reliability gap associated with entities that own or operate generator interconnection facilities. April 18, 2013 NOPR.
FERC seeks comments on Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) addressing NERC’s proposed Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) version 5 Reliability Standards. The NOPR proposes to approve the CIP version 5 Standards based on the improvement over the current Commission-approved CIP Reliability Standards in that they adopt new cyber security controls and extend the scope of the systems that are protected by the CIP Reliability Standards, among other things. April 18, 2013 NOPR.
FERC approves with modifications the NERC’s proposed written criteria for determining what NERC activities are eligible for funding under section 215 of the Federal Power Act. April 19, 2013 Decision.
March
FERC remands NERC’s proposed interpretation of Reliability Standard CIP-002, Cyber Security – Critical Cyber Asset Identification. March 21, 2013 Decision.
FERC remands NERC’s proposed interpretation of Reliability Standard CIP-006-4, Requirement R1.1. March 21, 2013 Decision.
FERC seeks comment on Revisions to Modeling, Data, and Analysis Reliability Standard. March 21, 2013 NOPR.
FERC approves Reliability Standard FAC-003-2, a modified standard on vegetation management practices. The final rule finds that the modified standard includes improvements including application to certain sub-200 kV transmission lines and a requirement that transmission owners perform vegetation management inspections at least annually. March 21, 2013 Order No.777.
February
FERC approves regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1 — Automatic Underfrequency Load Shedding. The regional Reliability Standard applies to generator owners, planning coordinators, distribution providers, and transmission owners in the Northeast Power Coordinating Council Region and is designed to ensure the development of an effective automatic underfrequency load shedding (UFLS) program to preserve the security and integrity of the Bulk-Power System during declining system frequency events, in coordination with the NERC continent-wide UFLS Reliability Standard PRC-006-1. February 21, 2013 Order No. 775.