Iro-006-wecc-3

IRO-006-WECC-3 – Qualified Path Unscheduled Flow (USF) Relief

A. Introduction
1. Title:

Qualified Path Unscheduled Flow (USF) Relief

2. Number: IRO-006-WECC-3
3. Purpose: To mitigate flows on Qualified Paths to reliable levels during Real-time
operations.

4. Applicability
4.1.

Reliability Coordinator

4.2

Balancing Authority

5. Effective Date: The first day of the second quarter following applicable
regulatory approval. See Implementation Plan.
B. Requirements and Measures
R1.

Each Reliability Coordinator receiving a request for Curtailments for
unscheduled flow transmission relief on a Qualified Path within its
Reliability Coordinator Area shall either approve or deny that request
within five minutes of receipt. [Violation Risk Factor: Medium] [Time
Horizon: Real-time Operations]

M1.

Each Reliability Coordinator receiving a request for Curtailments for
unscheduled flow transmission relief on a Qualified Path within its
Reliability Coordinator Area, per requirement R1, will have evidence that it
approved or denied that request within five minutes of receipt. Evidence
may include, but is not limited to documentation of either an active or
passive approval.

R2.

Each Balancing Authority receiving an approved request for unscheduled
flow transmission relief on a Qualified Path per Requirement R1, shall
perform any of the following actions to meet that request: [Violation Risk
Factor: Medium] [Time Horizon: Real-time Operations]
•
•

M2.

Approve curtailment requests to the schedules as submitted
Implement alternative actions

Each Balancing Authority receiving an approved request for unscheduled
flow transmission relief on a Qualified Path per Requirement R1, will have

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IRO-006-WECC-3 – Qualified Path Unscheduled Flow (USF) Relief

evidence that it performed the actions allowed in Requirement R2, to
meet that request.
C. Compliance
1.

Compliance Monitoring Process
1.1. Compliance Enforcement Authority:
As defined in the NERC Rules of Procedure, “Compliance Enforcement
Authority” means NERC or the Regional Entity in their respective roles of
monitoring and enforcing compliance with the NERC Reliability Standards.
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.
•

Each Reliability Coordinator and each Balancing Authority shall keep
data or evidence to show compliance with Requirements R1 and R2
for three calendar years or for the duration of any Compliance
Enforcement Authority investigation, whichever is longer.

•

If the Reliability Coordinator or Balancing Authority is found
noncompliant, it shall keep information related to the noncompliance
until found compliant or for the duration specified above, 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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IRO-006-WECC-3 – Qualified Path Unscheduled Flow Relief
Violation Severity Levels
Time Horizon

VRF

Violation Severity Levels
Lower VSL

Moderate VSL

R1

Real-time
Operations

Medium Not Applicable

Not Applicable

R2

Real-time
Operations

Medium There shall be a Lower
Level of
noncompliance if
there is less than
100% relief
requirement provided
but greater than or
equal to 90% relief
requirement provided
or the relief
requirement was less

There shall be a
Moderate Level of
noncompliance if
there is less than 90%
relief requirement
provided but greater
than or equal to 75%
relief requirement
provided.

High VSL

Severe VSL

Not Applicable

There shall be a Severe
level of noncompliance if
there is one instance
during a calendar month
in which the Reliability
Coordinator approved
(actively or passively) or
denied a request for
unscheduled flow
transmission relief on a
Qualified Path greater
than five minutes after
receipt that request.

There shall be a High
Level of
noncompliance if
there is less than 75%
relief requirement
provided but greater
than or equal to 60%
relief requirement
provided.

There shall be a Severe
Level of noncompliance if
there is less than 60%
relief requirement
provided.

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IRO-006-WECC-3 – Qualified Path Unscheduled Flow Relief
Time Horizon

VRF

Violation Severity Levels
Lower VSL

Moderate VSL

High VSL

Severe VSL

than 5 MW and was
not fully provided.
D. Regional Variances
None.
E. Associated Documents
Western Interconnection Unscheduled Flow Mitigation Plan (WIUFMP).

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IRO-006-WECC-3 – Qualified Path Unscheduled Flow Relief
Version History
Version
1
1

Date
April 16, 2008
February 10,
2009
March 17,
2011

Action
Permanent Replacement Standard for IRO-STD-006-0
Adopted by NERC Board of Trustees

1

May 2, 2012

Updated the requirements to R1. and R2. instead of R.1.
and R1.2.

1
2

July 1, 2011
February 7,
2013
May 13, 2014

Effective Date
Adopted by NERC Board of Trustees

1

2
3

February 7,
2019

Change Tracking

FERC Order 746 issued by FERC approving IRO-006WECC-1 (FERC approval effective on May 24, 2011)

FERC letter order issued approving IRO-006-WECC-2
(effective July 1, 2014).
Adopted by NERC Board of Trustees

No Change

Five-year review. Defined term
“Qualified Transfer Path” changed to
“Qualified Path” as included in the
Western Interconnection Unscheduled
Flow Mitigation Plan, as approved by
FERC. The following defined terms were
retired: 1) Qualified Transfer Path, 2)
Contributing Schedule, 3) Qualified
Controllable Device, 4) Relief
Requirement, 5) Transfer Distribution
Factor, and 6) Qualified Transfer Path
Curtailment Event.

3

May 10, 2019

FERC letter order issued approving IRO-006-WECC-3.
Docket No. RD19-4-000.
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