Commissioner Norris' Statement on Reliability Standards for Geomagnetic Disturbances

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Commissioner John R. Norris Statement
May 16, 2013
Docket No. RM12-12-000
Item No. E-5

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Reliability Standards for Geomagnetic Disturbances
“I support today’s Final Rule because I believe addressing the
potential impacts of geomagnetic disturbances (GMD) through
reliability standards is an appropriate and prudent step at this time.
As the record developed through the course of last year’s Technical
Conference and subsequent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR)
demonstrates, geomagnetic disturbances can lead to voltage
instability and subsequent voltage collapse, potentially threatening
the reliable operation of the bulk power system. Additionally, nearly
everyone agrees that the existing reliability standards do not address
this particular matter. For these reasons, I believe it is appropriate
for the Commission, pursuant to section 215(d)(5) of the Federal
Power Act, to direct NERC to fill this gap in the reliability standards.
“I want to emphasize the flexible and balanced approach we are
taking. The Final Rule directs NERC to fill the gap we have identified
in the standards, and provides high level direction and guidance
regarding the issues we believe the standards development process
should consider. However, we make clear that we are not prejudging
NERC’s process or the content of the standards ultimately produced,
and we give NERC and industry stakeholders room to apply their
technical expertise in addressing GMD. In addition, we clarify that we
are not requiring the use of any particular technologies, such as
automatic blocking, to protect against the impacts of GMD. We also
make clear that our intent is not to outlaw GMD-related blackouts;
rather, our overall objective is standards that require entities to
reasonably plan to protect the system from the impacts of GMD
events.

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“Finally, and of great importance to me, the Commission recognizes
in the Final Rule that costs and benefits must be a consideration
when weighing measures to protect against the impact of GMDs. We
state our expectation that NERC and industry will consider costs and
benefits of proposed measures in the standards development
process. My hope is that NERC, industry and the Commission will
develop a record of those cost considerations as we go forward, so
that other policymakers and the public will understand the choices
and tradeoffs we will inevitably make in crafting standards to address
GMD risks.”

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Updated: May 17, 2013

http://www.ferc.gov/media/statements-speeches/norris/2013/05-16-13-norris-E-5.asp

5/23/2013