FERC issues final rules to support reliability, resilience of bulk electric system
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved Wednesday two final rules and issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) regarding mandatory standards aimed at supporting the resilience and reliability of the U.S. bulk electric system.
One approved final rule adjusts reliability standards on Balancing Authority Control and Facility Interconnection Requirements to clarify and consolidate current requirements regarding frequency control. The revised standards are designed to support more accurate and comprehensive calculation of Reporting Area Control Error.
The second final rule revises a reliability standard on Remedial Action Schemes. The revised rule aims to prevent remedial action schemes from causing unintentional or unacceptable reliability risks to the grid.
It also creates a centralized process for the review of new or modified remedial action schemes before implementation and requires periodic evaluations, tests and operational analyses of each remedial action scheme as well as a yearly update of an area-wide remedial action scheme database. The final rule also assigns specific responsibilities to functional entities.
The NOPR proposes to approve revised Emergency Preparedness and Operations reliability standards covering Event Reporting, System Restoration from Blackstart Resources, System Restoration Coordination (and Loss of Control Center Functionality. The proposed standards aim to provide more accurate event reporting, define the roles and responsibilities of those responsible for support system restoration from blackstart resources, clarify the procedures and requirements for reliability coordinator personnel to perform system restoration processes, and improve the required aspects of an operating plan to continue reliable grid operation if primary control functionality is lost.
The final rules take effect and comments on the NOPR are due 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.
