Fac014-2

Standard FAC-014-2 — Establish and Communicate System Operating Limits

A. Introduction
1.

Title:

Establish and Communicate System Operating Limits

2.

Number:

FAC-014-2

3.

Purpose:
To ensure that System Operating Limits (SOLs) used in the reliable planning and
operation of the Bulk Electric System (BES) are determined based on an established
methodology or methodologies.

4.

Applicability
4.1. Reliability Coordinator
4.2. Planning Authority
4.3. Transmission Planner
4.4. Transmission Operator

5.

Effective Date:

April 29, 2009

B. Requirements
R1.

The Reliability Coordinator shall ensure that SOLs, including Interconnection Reliability
Operating Limits (IROLs), for its Reliability Coordinator Area are established and that the
SOLs (including Interconnection Reliability Operating Limits) are consistent with its SOL
Methodology.

R2.

The Transmission Operator shall establish SOLs (as directed by its Reliability Coordinator) for
its portion of the Reliability Coordinator Area that are consistent with its Reliability
Coordinator’s SOL Methodology.

R3.

The Planning Authority shall establish SOLs, including IROLs, for its Planning Authority Area
that are consistent with its SOL Methodology.

R4.

The Transmission Planner shall establish SOLs, including IROLs, for its Transmission
Planning Area that are consistent with its Planning Authority’s SOL Methodology.

R5.

The Reliability Coordinator, Planning Authority, and Transmission Planner shall each provide
its SOLs and IROLs to those entities that have a reliability-related need for those limits and
provide a written request that includes a schedule for delivery of those limits as follows:
R5.1.

The Reliability Coordinator shall provide its SOLs (including the subset of SOLs that
are IROLs) to adjacent Reliability Coordinators and Reliability Coordinators who
indicate a reliability-related need for those limits, and to the Transmission Operators,
Transmission Planners, Transmission Service Providers and Planning Authorities
within its Reliability Coordinator Area. For each IROL, the Reliability Coordinator
shall provide the following supporting information:
R5.1.1. Identification and status of the associated Facility (or group of Facilities)
that is (are) critical to the derivation of the IROL.
R5.1.2. The value of the IROL and its associated Tv.
R5.1.3. The associated Contingency(ies).
R5.1.4. The type of limitation represented by the IROL (e.g., voltage collapse,
angular stability).

Adopted by Board of Trustees: June 24, 2008
Effective Date: April 29, 2009

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Standard FAC-014-2 — Establish and Communicate System Operating Limits

R6.

R5.2.

The Transmission Operator shall provide any SOLs it developed to its Reliability
Coordinator and to the Transmission Service Providers that share its portion of the
Reliability Coordinator Area.

R5.3.

The Planning Authority shall provide its SOLs (including the subset of SOLs that are
IROLs) to adjacent Planning Authorities, and to Transmission Planners, Transmission
Service Providers, Transmission Operators and Reliability Coordinators that work
within its Planning Authority Area.

R5.4.

The Transmission Planner shall provide its SOLs (including the subset of SOLs that
are IROLs) to its Planning Authority, Reliability Coordinators, Transmission
Operators, and Transmission Service Providers that work within its Transmission
Planning Area and to adjacent Transmission Planners.

The Planning Authority shall identify the subset of multiple contingencies (if any), from
Reliability Standard TPL-003 which result in stability limits.
R6.1.

The Planning Authority shall provide this list of multiple contingencies and the
associated stability limits to the Reliability Coordinators that monitor the facilities
associated with these contingencies and limits.

R6.2.

If the Planning Authority does not identify any stability-related multiple
contingencies, the Planning Authority shall so notify the Reliability Coordinator.

C. Measures
M1. The Reliability Coordinator, Planning Authority, Transmission Operator, and Transmission
Planner shall each be able to demonstrate that it developed its SOLs (including the subset of
SOLs that are IROLs) consistent with the applicable SOL Methodology in accordance with
Requirements 1 through 4.
M2. The Reliability Coordinator, Planning Authority, Transmission Operator, and Transmission
Planner shall each have evidence that its SOLs (including the subset of SOLs that are IROLs)
were supplied in accordance with schedules supplied by the requestors of such SOLs as
specified in Requirement 5.
M3. The Planning Authority shall have evidence it identified a list of multiple contingencies (if any)
and their associated stability limits and provided the list and the limits to its Reliability
Coordinators in accordance with Requirement 6.
D. Compliance
1.

Compliance Monitoring Process
1.1. Compliance Monitoring Responsibility
Regional Reliability Organization
1.2. Compliance Monitoring Period and Reset Time Frame
The Reliability Coordinator, Planning Authority, Transmission Operator, and
Transmission Planner shall each verify compliance through self-certification submitted to
its Compliance Monitor annually. The Compliance Monitor may conduct a targeted audit
once in each calendar year (January – December) and an investigation upon a complaint
to assess performance.
The Performance-Reset Period shall be twelve months from the last finding of noncompliance.
1.3. Data Retention

Adopted by Board of Trustees: June 24, 2008
Effective Date: April 29, 2009

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Standard FAC-014-2 — Establish and Communicate System Operating Limits

The Reliability Coordinator, Planning Authority, Transmission Operator, and
Transmission Planner shall each keep documentation for 12 months. In addition, entities
found non-compliant shall keep information related to non-compliance until found
compliant.
The Compliance Monitor shall keep the last audit and all subsequent compliance records.
1.4. Additional Compliance Information
The Reliability Coordinator, Planning Authority, Transmission Operator, and
Transmission Planner shall each make the following available for inspection during a
targeted audit by the Compliance Monitor or within 15 business days of a request as part
of an investigation upon complaint:
1.4.1

SOL Methodology(ies)

1.4.2

SOLs, including the subset of SOLs that are IROLs and the IROLs supporting
information

1.4.3

Evidence that SOLs were distributed

1.4.4

Evidence that a list of stability-related multiple contingencies and their associated
limits were distributed

1.4.5

Distribution schedules provided by entities that requested SOLs

Adopted by Board of Trustees: June 24, 2008
Effective Date: April 29, 2009

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Standard FAC-014-2 — Establish and Communicate System Operating Limits

2.
Requirement

Violation Severity Levels:
Lower

Moderate

High

Severe

R1

There are SOLs, for the
Reliability Coordinator Area, but
from 1% up to but less than 25%
of these SOLs are inconsistent
with the Reliability Coordinator’s
SOL Methodology. (R1)

There are SOLs, for the
Reliability Coordinator Area, but
25% or more, but less than 50%
of these SOLs are inconsistent
with the Reliability Coordinator’s
SOL Methodology. (R1)

There are SOLs, for the
Reliability Coordinator Area, but
50% or more, but less than 75%
of these SOLs are inconsistent
with the Reliability Coordinator’s
SOL Methodology. (R1)

There are SOLs for the Reliability
Coordinator Area, but 75% or
more of these SOLs are
inconsistent with the Reliability
Coordinator’s SOL Methodology.
(R1)

R2

The Transmission Operator has
established SOLs for its portion
of the Reliability Coordinator
Area, but from 1% up to but less
than 25% of these SOLs are
inconsistent with the Reliability
Coordinator’s SOL Methodology.
(R2)

The Transmission Operator has
established SOLs for its portion
of the Reliability Coordinator
Area, but 25% or more, but less
than 50% of these SOLs are
inconsistent with the Reliability
Coordinator’s SOL Methodology.
(R2)

The Transmission Operator has
established SOLs for its portion
of the Reliability Coordinator
Area, but 50% or more, but less
than 75% of these SOLs are
inconsistent with the Reliability
Coordinator’s SOL Methodology.
(R2)

The Transmission Operator has
established SOLs for its portion
of the Reliability Coordinator
Area, but 75% or more of these
SOLs are inconsistent with the
Reliability Coordinator’s SOL
Methodology. (R2)

R3

There are SOLs, for the Planning
Coordinator Area, but from 1% up
to, but less than, 25% of these
SOLs are inconsistent with the
Planning Coordinator’s SOL
Methodology. (R3)

There are SOLs, for the Planning
Coordinator Area, but 25% or
more, but less than 50% of these
SOLs are inconsistent with the
Planning Coordinator’s SOL
Methodology. (R3)

There are SOLs for the Planning
Coordinator Area, but 50% or
more, but less than 75% of these
SOLs are inconsistent with the
Planning Coordinator’s SOL
Methodology. (R3)

There are SOLs, for the Planning
Coordinator Area, but 75% or
more of these SOLs are
inconsistent with the Planning
Coordinator’s SOL Methodology.
(R3)

R4

The Transmission Planner has
established SOLs for its portion
of the Planning Coordinator Area,
but up to 25% of these SOLs are
inconsistent with the Planning
Coordinator’s SOL Methodology.
(R4)

The Transmission Planner has
established SOLs for its portion
of the Planning Coordinator Area,
but 25% or more, but less than
50% of these SOLs are
inconsistent with the Planning
Coordinator’s SOL Methodology.
(R4)

The Transmission Planner has
established SOLs for its portion
of the Reliability Coordinator
Area, but 50% or more, but less
than 75% of these SOLs are
inconsistent with the Planning
Coordinator’s SOL Methodology.
(R4)

The Transmission Planner has
established SOLs for its portion
of the Planning Coordinator Area,
but 75% or more of these SOLs
are inconsistent with the Planning
Coordinator’s SOL Methodology.
(R4)

R5

The responsible entity provided
its SOLs (including the subset of
SOLs that are IROLs) to all the
requesting entities but missed
meeting one or more of the
schedules by less than 15

One of the following:
The responsible entity provided
its SOLs (including the subset of
SOLs that are IROLs) to all but
one of the requesting entities
within the schedules provided.

One of the following:
The responsible entity provided
its SOLs (including the subset of
SOLs that are IROLs) to all but
two of the requesting entities
within the schedules provided.

One of the following:
The responsible entity failed to
provide its SOLs (including the
subset of SOLs that are IROLs)
to more than two of the
requesting entities within 45

Adopted by Board of Trustees: June 24, 2008
Effective Date: April 29, 2009

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Standard FAC-014-2 — Establish and Communicate System Operating Limits

Requirement

R6

Moderate

High

Severe

calendar days. (R5)

Lower

(R5)
Or
The responsible entity provided
its SOLs to all the requesting
entities but missed meeting one
or more of the schedules for 15
or more but less than 30 calendar
days. (R5)
OR
The supporting information
provided with the IROLs does not
address 5.1.4

(R5)
Or
The responsible entity provided
its SOLs to all the requesting
entities but missed meeting one
or more of the schedules for 30
or more but less than 45 calendar
days. (R5)
OR
The supporting information
provided with the IROLs does not
address 5.1.3

calendar days of the associated
schedules. (R5)
OR
The supporting information
provided with the IROLs does not
address 5.1.1 and 5.1.2.

The Planning Authority failed to
notify the Reliability Coordinator
in accordance with R6.2

Not applicable.

The Planning Authority identified
the subset of multiple
contingencies which result in
stability limits but did not provide
the list of multiple contingencies
and associated limits to one
Reliability Coordinator that
monitors the Facilities associated
with these limits. (R6.1)

The Planning Authority did not
identify the subset of multiple
contingencies which result in
stability limits. (R6)
OR
The Planning Authority identified
the subset of multiple
contingencies which result in
stability limits but did not provide
the list of multiple contingencies
and associated limits to more
than one Reliability Coordinator
that monitors the Facilities
associated with these limits.
(R6.1)

Adopted by Board of Trustees: June 24, 2008
Effective Date: April 29, 2009

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Standard FAC-014-2 — Establish and Communicate System Operating Limits

E. Regional Differences
None identified.
Version History
Version
1

Date

Action

Change Tracking

November 1,
2006

Adopted by Board of Trustees

New

Changed the effective date to January 1,
2009
Replaced Levels of Non-compliance with
Violation Severity Levels

Revised

2

2

June 24, 2008

Adopted by Board of Trustees: FERC Order

Revised

2

January 22,
2010

Updated effective date and footer to April
29, 2009 based on the March 20, 2009
FERC Order

Update

2

April 29, 2015 –
July 23, 2015

Incorrectly included TOP as the applicable
function for Requirement R5.
7/23/15: Corrected to designate R5 as: RC,
PA and TP.

Revised

Adopted by Board of Trustees: June 24, 2008
Effective Date: April 29, 2009

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