RD16-8 Letter Order (issued)

FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20426

OFFICE OF ELECTRIC RELIABILITY

North American Electric Reliability Corporation

Docket No. RD16-8-000

August 16, 2016

North American Electric Reliability Corporation

1325 G Street N.W., Suite 600

Washington, D.C. 20005

Attention: Lauren A. Perotti

Counsel for North American Electric Reliability Corporation

Reference: Joint Petition of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and Northeast Power Coordinating Council for Approval of Retirement of Regional Reliability Standard PRC-002-NPCC-01

Dear Ms. Perotti:

On June 9, 2016, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and the Northeast Power Coordination Council, Inc. (NPCC) filed a joint petition for Commission approval, pursuant to section 215(d)(1) of the Federal Power Act (FPA)¹ and Section 39.5² of the Commission’s regulations, of the retirement of NPCC Regional Reliability Standard PRC-002-NPCC-01 (Disturbance Monitoring) and the two related NPCC regional definitions, Current Zero Time and Generating Plant.³

In the joint petition, NERC and NPCC state that the primary purpose of Regional Reliability Standard PRC-002-NPCC-01 is to ensure that adequate disturbance data is available to facilitate bulk electric system event analyses. NERC and NPCC explain that the issues addressed in the Regional Reliability Standard are now addressed by continent-wide Reliability Standard PRC-002-2 (Disturbance Monitoring and Reporting Requirements), approved by the Commission in 2015.⁴ Reliability Standard PRC-002-2 imposes mandatory requirements concerning the monitoring and reporting of disturbances and provides greater continent-wide consistency regarding collection methods for data used in the analysis of disturbances on the Bulk-Power System. According to NERC and NPCC, Regional Reliability Standard PRC-002-NPCC-01 and the related definitions are now redundant and unnecessary for reliability and should be retired.

The NERC and NPCC joint petition was noticed on June 9, 2016, with interventions, comments and protests due on or before July 11, 2016. Dominion Resources Service, Inc. filed a timely motion to Intervene. No comments or protests were received.

 

The NERC and NPCC uncontested joint petition is hereby approved pursuant to the relevant authority delegated to the Director, Office of Electric Reliability under 18 C.F.R. § 375.303 (2015), effective as of the date of this order.

This action shall not be construed as approving any other application, including proposed revisions of Electric Reliability Organization or Regional Entity rules or procedures pursuant to 18 C.F.R. § 375.303(a)(2)(i). Such action shall not be deemed as recognition of any claimed right or obligation associated therewith and such action is without prejudice to any findings or orders that have been or may hereafter be made by the Commission in any proceeding now pending or hereafter instituted by or against the Electric Reliability Organization or any Regional Entity.

 

This order constitutes final agency action. Requests for rehearing by the Commission may be filed within 30 days of the date of issuance of this order, pursuant to 18 C.F.R. § 385.713 (2015).

Sincerely,

Michael Bardee, Director

Office of Electric Reliability

1 16 U.S.C. § 824o (2012).

2 18 C.F.R. § 39.5 (2015).

3 In 2011, the Commission approved Regional Reliability Standard PRC-002-NPCC-01 and the two related NPCC regional definitions. See North. American. Electric. Reliability Corp., 137 FERC ¶ 61,043 (2011).

4 Order No. 814, Disturbance Monitoring and Reporting Requirements Reliability Standard, 152 FERC ¶ 61,198 (2015).