Reliability Standard FAC-501-WECC-2

FAC-501-WECC-2 – Transmission Maintenance

A. Introduction
1. Title:

Transmission Maintenance

2. Number:

FAC-501-WECC-2

3. Purpose:

To ensure the Transmission Owner of a transmission path identified in
Attachment B, Major WECC Transfer Paths in the Bulk Electric System,
including associated facilities has a Transmission Maintenance and
Inspection Plan (TMIP); and performs and documents maintenance and
inspection activities in accordance with the TMIP.

4. Applicability

4.1 Transmission Owners that maintain the transmission paths in Attachment B.
5. Effective Date: The first day of the first quarter following applicable regulatory approval.

B. Requirements and Measures
R1.

Each Transmission Owner shall have a TMIP that includes, at a minimum, each of
the items listed in Attachment A, Transmission Maintenance and Inspection Plan
Content. [Violation Risk Factor: Medium] [Time Horizon: Long-term Planning]

M1.

Each Transmission Owner will have evidence that it has a TMIP detailing each of the
items listed in Attachment A, as required in Requirement R1.

R2.

Each Transmission Owner shall annually update its TMIP to reflect all changes to its
TMIP. [Violation Risk Factor: Medium] [Time Horizon: Long-term Planning]

M2.

Each Transmission Owner will have evidence that it annually updated its TMIP, as
required in Requirement R2. When an annual update shows that no changes are
required to the TMIP, evidence may include but is not limited to, attestation that
the update was performed but showed that no changes were required.

R3.

Each Transmission Owner shall adhere to its TMIP. [Violation Risk Factor:
Medium] [Time Horizon: Operations Assessment]

M3.

Each Transmission Owner will have evidence that it adhered to its TMIP, as
required in Requirement R3. Evidence may include, but is not limited to:
1.1

The date(s) the patrol, inspection or maintenance was performed;

1.2

The transmission Facility or Element on which the maintenance was performed;

1.3

A description of the inspection results or maintenance performed.

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FAC-501-WECC-2 – Transmission Maintenance

C.

Compliance
1.

Compliance Monitoring Process
1.1. Compliance Enforcement Authority: “Compliance Enforcement Authority”
means NERC or the Regional Entity, or any entity as otherwise designated by
an Applicable Governmental Authority, in their respective roles of monitoring
and/or enforcing compliance with mandatory and enforceable Reliability
Standards in their respective jurisdictions.
1.2. Evidence Retention: The following evidence retention period(s) identify the
period of time an entity is required to retain specific evidence to demonstrate
compliance. For instances where the evidence retention period specified
below is shorter than the time since the last audit, the Compliance
Enforcement Authority may ask an entity to provide other evidence to show
that it was compliant for the full-time period since the last audit.
The applicable entity shall keep data or evidence to show compliance as
identified below unless directed by its Compliance Enforcement Authority to
retain specific evidence for a longer period of time as part of an investigation.


The Transmission Owners listed in section 4.1 shall keep data or
evidence of Requirements 1-3 for three calendar years, or since the last
audit, whichever is longer.

1.3. Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Program: As defined in the NERC
Rules of Procedure, “Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Program”
refers to the identification of the processes that will be used to evaluate data
or information for the purpose of assessing performance or outcomes with
the associated Reliability Standard.

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FAC-501-WECC-2 – Transmission Maintenance

Violation Severity Levels
R#

R1.

R2.

R3.

D.

Violation Severity Levels
Lower VSL

Moderate VSL

High VSL

Severe VSL

The Transmission
Owner’s TMIP did
not include one
of the items
listed in
Attachment A, as
required in
Requirement R1.
The Transmission
Owner did not
annually update
its TMIP (within
the 365 days
following the last
review), as
required by R2.

The Transmission
Owner’s TMIP did
not include two
of the items
listed in
Attachment A, as
required in
Requirement R1.
The Transmission
Owner did not
update its TMIP
within the last
one year and 1
day (within the
366 days
following the last
review), as
required by R2.
The
Transmission
Owner failed to
adhere to:
1) two
transmission
line
maintenance
items; or, 2)
two station
maintenance
items; or 3) any
combination of
two items taken
from the above
list, for items
contained in its
TMIP, as
required in R3.

The Transmission
Owner’s TMIP did
not include three
of the items
listed in
Attachment A, as
required in
Requirement R1.
The Transmission
Owner did not
update its TMIP
within the last
two years and 1
day (within the
731 days
following the last
review), as
required by R2.
The
Transmission
Owner failed to
adhere to:
1) three
transmission
line
maintenance
items; or, 2)
three station
maintenance
items; or 3) any
combination of
three items
taken from the
above list, for
items contained
in its TMIP, as
required in R3.

The Transmission
Owner’s TMIP did
not include four or
more of the items
listed in Attachment
A, as required in
Requirement R1.

The
Transmission
Owner failed to
adhere to: 1)
one
transmission
line
maintenance
item, or 2) one
station
maintenance
item, as
contained in its
TMIP, as
required in R3.

The Transmission
Owner did not update
its TMIP within the
last three years and 1
day (within the 1095
days following the
last review), as
required by R2.

The Transmission
Owner failed to
adhere to:
1) four or more
transmission line
maintenance items;
or, 2) four or more
station
maintenance items;
or, 3) any
combination of
four or more items
taken from the
above list, for items
contained in its
TMIP, as required
in R3.

Regional Variances
None.
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FAC-501-WECC-2 – Transmission Maintenance

E.

Associated Documents
None

Version History – Shows Approval History and Summary of Changes in the Action Field
Version

Date

Action

1

April 16, 2008

Permanent Replacement Standard for PRCSTD-005-1

1

October 29,
2008

NERC BOT conditional approval

1

April 21, 2011

FERC Approved in Order 751

2

July 1, 2017

Approved by the WECC Board of
Directors.

2

February 8,
2018

Adopted by the NERC Board of Trustees.

2

May 30,
2018

FERC Order issued approving FAC-501WECC-2. Docket No. RD18-5-000

Change
Tracking

1) Conformed to
newest NERC
template and
drafting
conventions, 2)
eliminated URLs,
3) clarified
Attachment A,
and Measure
M3.

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Attachment A
Transmission Maintenance and Inspection Plan Content
The TMIP shall include, at a minimum, each of the following details:
1.

Facilities

A list of Facilities (e.g., transmission lines, transformers, etc.) and Elements (e.g. circuit breaker, bus
section, etc.) that comprise each transmission path(s) identified in Attachment B, Major WECC
Transfer Paths in the Bulk Electric System.
2.

Maintenance Methodology

A description of the maintenance methodology used for the Facility, transmission line, or station
included in the TMIP.
The TMIP maintenance methodology may be any one of the following or any combination thereof,
but must include at least one of the following:



3.

Performance-based
Time-based
Condition based
Periodicity

A specification of the periodicity that the described maintenance will occur, or under what
circumstances it occurs.
4.

Transmission Line Maintenance

A description of each of the following for the transmission line(s) included in the TMIP:
a. Inspection requirements
b. Patrol requirements
c. Tower and wood pole structure management
5.

Station Maintenance

A description of each of the following for each station included in the TMIP:
a. Inspection requirements
b. Equipment maintenance for each of the following:

1.

Circuit breakers

2.

Power transformers (including, but not limited to, phase-shifting
transformers)

3.

Reactive devices (including, but not limited to, shunt capacitors, series
capacitors, synchronous condensers, shunt reactors, and tertiary reactors)

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Attachment B
Major WECC Transfer Paths in the Bulk Electric System

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.

PATH NAME*
Alberta – British Columbia
Northwest – British Columbia
West of Cascades – North
West of Cascades – South
West of Hatwai
Montana to Northwest
Idaho to Northwest
South of Los Banos or Midway- Los Banos
Idaho – Sierra
Borah West
Idaho – Montana
Bridger West
Path C
Southwest of Four Corners
PG&E – SPP
Northern – Southern California
Intmntn. Power Project DC Line
TOT 1A
TOT 2A
Pavant – Gonder 230 kV
Intermountain – Gonder 230 kV
TOT 2B
TOT 2C
TOT 3
TOT 5
SDGE – CFE
West of Colorado River (WOR)
Southern New Mexico (NM1)
Northern New Mexico (NM2)
East of the Colorado River (EOR)
Cholla – Pinnacle Peak
Southern Navajo
Brownlee East
Lugo – Victorville 500 kV
Pacific DC Intertie
COI
North of John Day cutplane
Alturas
Montana Southeast
SCIT**
COI/PDCI – North of John Day cutplane**

Path Number
1
3
4
5
6
8
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
22
24
26
27
30
31
32
34
35
36
39
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
55
61
65
66
73
76
80

* For an explanation of terms, path numbers, and definition for the paths refer
to WECC’s Path Rating Catalog.
** The SCIT and COI/PDCI-North of John Day Cutplane are paths that are operated in
accordance with nomograms identified in WECC’s Path Rating Catalog.

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THIS SECTION WILL NOT BE PART OF THE STANDARD BUT IS REQUIRED FOR NERC FILING.
Standards Authorization Request (SAR)
WECC-0120 FAC-501-WECC-2 Transmission Maintenance SAR

Approvals Required





WECC Ballot Pool
WECC Board of Directors
NERC Board of Trustees
FERC

Pending
Pending
Pending
Pending

Applicable Entities
Transmission Owners that maintain the transmission paths in the most current WECC Major Paths table
(Attachment B of the standard)
Conforming Changes to Other Standards
None are required.
Proposed Effective Date
The first day of the first quarter following regulatory approval
Justification
The WECC-0120, FAC-501-WECC-2, Transmission Maintenance Drafting Team (DT) has reviewed NERC
Standards, both in effect and those standards that are NERC Board of Trustees approved pending
regulatory filing. The DT concluded that the proposed substantive changes pose a minimal burden beyond
ordinary and current operations. As such, the short implementation time should impose no undue
burden.
Consideration of Early Compliance
The DT foresees no negative impacts to reliability in the event of early compliance.
Retirements
None

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