In accordance
with 5 CFR 1320, comment filed on proposed rule. Agency will
address comments at the final rule stage.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
10/31/2013
36 Months From Approved
10/31/2013
472
0
472
8,305
0
8,305
0
0
0
The passage of the Electricity
Modernization Act of 2005 (EPACT 2005)added to the Commissions
efforts by giving it the authority to strengthen the reliability of
the interstate grid through the grant of new authority pursuant to
section 215 of the Federal Power Act (FPA) which provides for a
system of mandatory Reliability Standards developed by the Electric
Reliability Organization (ERO), established by FERC, and enforced
by the ERO and Regional Entities. These regional Reliability
Standards allow for the continuation of certain reliability
practices that are in effect in the Western Interconnection. The
Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) is responsible for
coordinating and promoting electric system reliability. In addition
to promoting a reliable electric power system in the Western
Interconnection, WECC supports efficient competitive power markets,
assures open and non-discriminatory transmission access among
members, provides a forum for resolving transmission access
disputes, and provides an environment for coordinating the
operating and planning activities of its members. The WECC region
encompasses a vast area of nearly 1.8 million square miles. It is
the largest and most diverse of the ten regional councils of the
North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC). WECCs service
territory extends from Canada to Mexico. It includes the provinces
of Alberta and British Columbia, the northern portion of Baja
California, Mexico, and all or portions of the 14 western states in
between. Transmission lines span long distances connecting the
Pacific Northwest with its abundant hydroelectric resources to the
arid Southwest with its large coal-fired and nuclear resources.
WECC and the nine other regional reliability councils were formed
due to national concern regarding the reliability of the
interconnected bulk power systems, the ability to operate these
systems without widespread failures in electric service, and the
need to foster the preservation of reliability through a formal
organization. The Commission in accordance with section 215(d)(2)
of the Federal Power Act (FPA)has approved the regional Reliability
Standards. In RM09-19-000(NOPR) FERC proposes to approve regional
Reliability Standard IRO-006-WECC-1 (Qualified Transfer Path
Unscheduled Flow Relief). The purpose of IRO-006-WECC-1 is to
mitigate transmission overloads due to unscheduled flow on
Qualified Transfer Paths. Under the Reliability Standard,
reliability coordinators are responsible for initiating schedule
curtailments and balancing authorities are responsible for
implementing curtailments. FERC has concerns because of the
dichotomies between the proposed regional Reliability Standard and
the corresponding NERC standard and in particular (1)how will
entities know whether to follow the national or regional Standard
in a given situation; (2) how the webSAS tool will work with
respect to national and regional Standard; (3) potential
reliability impact of reliability coordinators' inability to
request curtailments and (4)WECC's and NERC's reliance on regional
Reliability Standard TOP-007-WECC-1 to ensure that entities manage
power flows using steps one through three of the Mitigation Plan
prior to requesting curtailments.
US Code:
16
USC 824(o) Name of Law: Federal Power Act
PL: Pub.L. 105 - 98 1211 Name of Law: Energy
Policy Act of 2005
There is a program increase of
72 hours proposed in the NOPR in Docket RM09-19-000. This NOPR
proposes to approve a new regional Reliability Standard,
IRO-006-WECC-1, which will replace currently effective regional
Reliability Standard IRO-STD-006-0 approved by the Commission on
June 8, 2007. Rather than creating entirely new requirements, the
proposed regional Reliability Standard instead modifies and
improves the existing regional Reliability Standard governing
qualified transfer path unscheduled flow relief. Thus, this
proposed rulemaking imposes a minimal additional burden on the
affected entities. In modifying the regional Reliability Standard,
WECC has eliminated the reference to the Mitigation Plan, included
in both the NERC standard, IRO-006-4, and the currently effective
WECC standard. The Mitigation Plan includes nine steps to address
unscheduled flows; steps four and above requiring varying levels of
curtailments of transactions. Requirement R1 of proposed
IRO-006-WECC-1 provides that [u]pon receiving a request of Step 4
or greater from the Transmission Operator of a Qualified Transfer
Path, the Reliability Coordinator shall approve or deny that
request within five minutes, however, steps one through three are
no longer referenced in IRO-006-WECC-1 or in the related regional
Standard TOP-007-WECC-1. On the other hand, NERC Reliability
Standard IRO-006-4 continues to specifically reference the
Mitigation Plan with regard to transmission loading relief in the
Western Interconnection. However, the Mitigation Plan has not been
updated to include the requirement that the reliability coordinator
act on a request for relief within five minutes, an improvement
contained in WECCs proposed IRO-006-WECC-1. Likewise, the
Mitigation Plan continues to reference and require action by
receivers, while that term is removed from the proposed WECC
regional Reliability Standard, in conformance with the Commissions
directive in the June 8, 2007 Order. Because of these dichotomies
between the proposed regional Reliability Standard and the
corresponding NERC Standard, the Commission has several areas of
concern regarding how the proposed regional Standard would work in
practice to ensure Reliable Operation in the Western
Interconnection. Specifically, the Commission is concerned with:
(1) how entities will know whether to follow the national or
regional Standard in a given situation; (2) WECCs and NERCs
reliance on TOP-007-WECC-1 to ensure that entities manage power
flows using steps one through three of the Mitigation Plan prior to
requesting curtailments; (3) how the webSAS tool will work with
respect to the national and regional Standard; and (4) the
potential reliability impact of reliability coordinators inability
to request curtailments.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
NERC_IRO-006-WECC-1_6_17_09.pdf
RM09-15-000 OMB Justification.doc
Madatory Reliability Standards for the Western Electricity Coordinating Council