November
This Final Rule approves Reliability Standards EOP-011-1 (Emergency Operations) and PRC-010-1 (Undervoltage Load Shedding), and a revised definition of the term Remedial Action Scheme contained in the NERC Glossary of Terms Used in Reliability Standards, and modifications of specified Reliability Standards to incorporate the revised definition. The Commission found that the Reliability Standards consolidate, streamline, and clarify the existing requirements of the currently-effective Emergency Preparedness and Operations (EOP) and Protection and control (PRC) Reliability Standards, and address certain directives set forth in Order No. 693. November 19, 2015, Order No. 818.
The final rule approves revisions to the Transmission Operations and Interconnection Reliability Operations and Coordination Reliability Standards. The final rule also directs NERC to make three modifications to the standards within 18 months of the effective date of the final rule. November 19, 2015, Order No. 817.
September
The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposes to approve NERC Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 (Relay Performance During Stable Power Swings), which is designed to ensure that applicable entities use protective relay systems that can differentiate between faults and stable power swings. In addition, the NOPR requests comment on the potential burden of modifying the applicability of the proposed Reliability Standard to include relays with a time delay of 15 cycles or greater. September 17, 2015, NOPR.
The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposes to revise the Commission’s regulations to require the NERC to provide Commission staff with access, on a non-public and ongoing basis, to NERC’s Transmission Availability Data System, Generator Availability Data System, and protection system misoperations databases. September 17, 2015, NOPR.
This final rule approves Reliability Standard PRC-002-2 (Disturbance Monitoring and Reporting Requirements), submitted by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. Reliability Standard PRC-002-2 requires the availability of adequate time-synchronized data for post-disturbance analysis. September 17, 2015, Order No. 814.
This final rule approves a revised Reliability Standard, PRC-005-4 (Protection System, Automatic Reclosing, and Sudden Pressure Relaying Maintenance), which revises the current protection system maintenance reliability standard to add certain sudden pressure relaying systems. It also rejects, without prejudice, commenters’ requests to postpone implementation of the revised standard. September 17, 2015, Order No. 813.
July
This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) proposes seven critical infrastructure protection (CIP) Reliability Standards, submitted by NERC in response to Order No. 791. In addition, the NOPR proposes to direct that NERC modify Reliability Standard CIP-006-6 to require protections for communication network components between all bulk electric system Control Centers, and proposes to direct NERC to develop requirements relating to supply chain management for industrial control system hardware, software, and services. July 16, 2015, NOPR.
June
The Commission seeks comments on NERC’s proposed revisions to the Transmission Operations and Interconnection Reliability Operations and Coordination Reliability Standards. June 18, 2015, NOPR.
This NOPR proposes to approve proposed Reliability Standards and definitions of terms in three related petitions submitted NERC: proposed Reliability Standard EOP-011-1 (Emergency Operations), proposed Reliability Standard PRC-010-1 (Undervoltage Load Shedding), and NERC’s revised definition of the term “Remedial Action Scheme.” June 18, 2015 , NOPR.
The Commission conditionally accepts NERC’s petition containing proposed revisions to NERC’s Working Capital and Operating Reserve Policy. June 18, 2015 , Decision
May
The NOPR proposes to approve Reliability Standard TPL-007-1 (Transmission System Planned Performance for Geomagnetic Disturbance Events). The proposed Reliability Standard was developed and submitted by NERC in response to a Commission directive in Order No. 779. In addition, the NOPR proposes to direct NERC to develop modifications to Reliability Standard TPL-007-1 and submit informational filings to address certain research issues. May 14, 2015, NOPR.
April
This NOPR proposes to approve the proposed Reliability Standard PRC-002-2 (Disturbance Monitoring and Reporting Requirements), which would require the availability of adequate time-synchronized data for post-disturbance analysis. April 16, 2015, NOPR.
The NOPR proposes to approve a revised Reliability Standard, PRC-005-4 – Protection System, Automatic Reclosing, and Sudden Pressure Relaying Maintenance, which would revise the current protection system maintenance reliability standard to add certain sudden pressure relaying systems. April 16, 2015, NOPR.
This final rule approves Reliability Standard BAL-001-2 (Real Power Balancing Control Performance). The Reliability Standard is designed to ensure that balancing authorities and Regulation Reserve Sharing Groups maintain Interconnection frequency within narrow bounds around a scheduled value. By utilizing predefined frequency trigger limits for balancing authority within each Interconnection, the real-time measurements established in the Reliability Standard will help ensure that the Interconnection frequency returns to a reliable state should a balancing authority’s area control error, or the Interconnection’s frequency, exceed acceptable bounds. Also, the Reliability Standard satisfies an outstanding directive in Order No.693 concerning Reliability Standard BAL-002. April 16, 2015, Order No. 810.
The Final Rule approves two revised Reliability Standards, COM-001-2 (Communications) and COM-002-4 (Operating Personnel Communications Protocols). This Final Rule finds that the revised standards will enhance reliability by requiring adoption of predefined communications protocols, annual assessment of performance under and training on the protocols, and use of three-part communication for operating instructions. The Final Rule also directs NERC to revise COM-001-2 or to develop a new or revised standard to address requirements for internal communications capabilities to the extent such communications could impact the reliable operation of the Bulk-Power System. April 16, 2015, Order No. 808.
March
FERC approves in part, and denies in part, NERC’s petition for approval of proposed revisions to the NERC Rules of Procedure that would implement NERC’s risk-based registration initiative, which is intended to ensure that entities are subject to an appropriate set of applicable Reliability Standards by using a consistent approach to risk assessment and registration. The order approves NERC’s proposal except for the proposed elimination of the load-serving entity function from the registry process, which it denies, without prejudice, and directs NERC to submit a compliance filing to address the Commission’s concerns. March 19, 2015, Decision.
FERC affirms the $52,000 penalty assessed by NERC against NextEra Resources, LLC for failure to respond to the directive of a reliability coordinator, as required by two Reliability Standards. March 19, 2015, Decision.
February
This order institutes a proceeding pursuant to section 206 of the Federal Power Act to address the justness and reasonableness of the NYISO Tariff with regard to Reliability Must Run (RMR) issues. The order directs NYISO to submit, within 120 days of the date of the order, fully supported proposed tariff provisions governing the retention of and compensation to generating units required for reliability, including procedures for designating such resources, the rates, terms, and conditions for RMR service, provisions for allocation of costs of RMR service, and a pro forma service agreement for RMR service. February 19, 2015, Decision.
This final rule approves Reliability Standard MOD-031-1 (Demand and Energy Data) and directs NERC to develop a modification to clarify certain obligations to provide data to the Regional Entity. The Reliability Standard provides applicable entities the authority to collect demand and energy data, and related information, to support reliability assessments and also includes transmission planners as applicable entities that must report demand and energy data. February 19, 2015, Order No. 804.
This order approves NERC’s implementation of the Reliability Assurance Initiative (RAI), which reflects a transition to a risk-based approach for compliance monitoring and enforcement. The order identifies certain conditions on the implementation and continued development RAI that address, among other things, the transparency of enforcement actions. Finally, the order directs NERC to submit a compliance filing proposing revisions to the NERC Rules of Procedure to articulate the RAI concepts and programs, and directs NERC to submit an annual report on RAI. February 19, 2015, Decision.
January
FERC’s order approves a revised Reliability Standard, PRC-005-3 (Protection System Maintenance), which adds certain autoreclosing relays to the currently approved standard (PRC-005-2). The order also directs NERC to modify the standard to include supervisory devices associated with applicable reclosing relay schemes. The order does not adopt the NOPR’s proposal to require NERC to submit a report evaluating the effectiveness of the standard in identifying the reclosing relays that can impact reliability, but instead requires NERC to ensure that relevant information related to events involving reclosing relays are maintained and will be made available to the Commission upon request. January 22, 2015 Order No. 803.