October
FERC accepts the 2017 business plans and budgets of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, the Regional Entities, and the Western Interconnection Regional Advisory Body, and authorizes issuance of billing invoices to fund the fiscal year 2017 operations. The order also grants NERC’s request to allocate certain penalty moneys to NERC’s assessment stabilization reserve, and to use certain existing funds from the assessment stabilization reserve to reduce 2017 assessments.operators. October 20, 2016, Decision
September
This final rule approves Reliability Standard TPL-007-1, Transmission System Planned Performance for Geomagnetic Disturbance Events. The Reliability Standard was developed and submitted by NERC in response to a Commission directive in Order No. 779. In addition, the final rule directs NERC to develop modifications to Reliability Standard TPL-007-1 and submit informational filings to address certain research issues. September 22, 2016, Order No. 830.
This notice of proposed rulemaking proposes to approve Reliability Standards BAL-005-1 (Balancing Authority Control) and FAC-001-3 (Facility Interconnection Requirements) as submitted by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, and proposes to approve the retirement of Reliability Standard BAL-006-2. September 22, 2016, NOPR.
FERC approves two NERC-proposed Reliability Standards IRO-018-1 and TOP-010-1 which both address real-time reliability monitoring and analysis capabilities of reliability coordinators, balancing authorities, and transmission operators. September 22, 2016, Decision.
July
This Notice of Inquiry seeks comment on the need for, and possible effects of, modifications to the Critical Infrastructure Protection Reliability Standards regarding the protection of control centers that are used to monitor and control the bulk electric system in real-time. July 21, 2016, Notice of Inquiry.
This Order denies rehearing of Order No. 822, which approved seven modified critical infrastructure protection (CIP) Reliability Standards and directed NERC to develop additional modifications to the CIP Reliability Standards. July 21, 2016, Order No. 822-A.
This Final Rule directs NERC to develop a new or modified Reliability Standard for supply chain risk management for industrial control system hardware, software, and computing and networking services associated with bulk electric system operations. The Final Rule further directs that the new or modified Reliability Standard should require responsible entities to develop a plan to meet four specific security objectives while providing flexibility to responsible entities as to how to meet those objectives. July 21, 2016, Order No. 829.
June
The final rule amends the Commission’s regulations to require the NERC to provide the Commission and Commission staff, with access on a non-public and ongoing basis to certain databases compiled and maintained by NERC. The amended regulation applies to the following NERC databases: (1) the Transmission Availability Data System, (2) the Generating Availability Data System, and (3) the protection system misoperations database. June 16, 2016, Order No. 824.
This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposes to amend the Commission’s regulations to implement provisions of the FAST Act that pertain to the designation, protection, and sharing of Critical Electric Infrastructure Information. Separately, the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposes to amend the Commission’s regulations that pertain to Critical Energy Infrastructure Information. June 16, 2016, NOPR.
May
FERC seeks comments on Reliability Standard BAL-002-2 (Disturbance Control Standard—Contingency Reserve for Recovery from a Balancing Contingency Event) submitted by NERC. This proposed Reliability Standard BAL-002-2 is designed to ensure that applicable entities balance resources and demand and return their Area Control Error to defined values following a Reportable Balancing Contingency Event. In addition, the Commission proposes to direct NERC to modify Reliability Standard BAL-002-2 to address concerns related to the possible extension or delay of the periods for Area Control Error recovery and contingency reserve restoration. The Commission also proposes to direct NERC to address a reliability gap regarding megawatt losses above the most severe single contingency. May 19, 2016, NOPR.
March
FERC approves Final Rule for Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 (Relay Performance During Stable Power Swings). March 17, 2016, Order No. 823.
January
The Final Rule approves seven critical infrastructure protection (CIP) Reliability Standards, submitted by NERC in response to Order No. 791. In addition, the Final Rule directs that NERC develop modifications to address (1) the protection of transient electronic devices used at Low Impact BES Cyber Systems, (2) protections for communication network components between bulk electric system Control Centers, (3) and refinement of the definition for Low Impact External Routable Connectivity. Further, the Final Rule directs NERC to conduct a study on the CIP version 5 remote access controls. January 21, 2016, Order No. 822.