FERC-725A(1C), Mandatory Reliability Standards for Bulk-Power System: Reliability Standard TOP-001-4

North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) filed a petition for approval of proposed Reliability Standards IRO-002-5 (Reliability Coordination - Monitoring and Analysis) and TOP-001-4 (Transmission Operations). NERC states that the proposed Reliability Standards address the Commission’s directives in Order No. 817 related to: (1) transmission operator monitoring of non-bulk electric system (BES) facilities; (2) redundancy and diverse routing of transmission operator, balancing authority, and reliability coordinator data exchange capabilities; and (3) testing of alternative or less frequently used data exchange capabilities. NERC states that the proposed “Reliability Standards TOP-001-4 and IRO-002-5 build upon the improvements made in the prior versions of those standards to further advance reliability.” Proposed Reliability Standard TOP-001-4, Requirement R10 has been revised to require the transmission operator to monitor non-BES facilities for determining system operating limit exceedances within its transmission operator area, as directed by the Commission in Order No. 817. NERC states that this revision helps to ensure that all facilities that can adversely impact reliability are monitored. NERC also revised proposed Reliability Standard TOP-001-4 to require that the operator’s and balancing authority’s data exchange capabilities for the exchange of real-time data needed for real-time monitoring and analysis have redundant and diversely routed data exchange infrastructure within the entity’s primary control center and that these capabilities be tested for redundant functionality on a regular basis. Similar revisions are reflected in Reliability Standard IRO-002-5 to clarify the obligations of the reliability coordinator. NERC states that these modifications help support reliable operations by preventing a single point of failure in primary control center data exchange infrastructure from halting the flow of real-time data used by operators to monitor and control the BES. NERC requests that the Commission approve proposed Reliability Standards TOP-001-4 and IRO-002-5 as consistent with its directives in Order No. 817 and find that the proposed Reliability Standards are just, reasonable, not unduly discriminatory or preferential, and in the public interest. In a delegated order on 4/17/2017, FERC approved the standards. As of 7/5/2017, another unrelated item under FERC-725A is pending review at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Only one item per OMB Control No. may be pending OMB review at a time. In order to submit this consolidated supporting statement (for Docket No. RD17-4) timely to OMB, a ‘placeholder’ information collection number (FERC-725A(1C), Mandatory Reliability Standards for Bulk-Power System: Reliability Standard TOP-001-4) will be used (rather than FERC-725A). The temporary information collection number FERC-725A(1C) is new, so we are requesting a full three years.

The latest form for FERC-725A(1C), Mandatory Reliability Standards for Bulk-Power System: Reliability Standard TOP-001-4 expires 2021-01-31 and can be found here.