Commission Letter RD16-10

FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20426

OFFICE OF ELECTRIC RELIABILITY

North American Electric Reliability Corporation

Docket No. RD16-10-000

March 10, 2017

North American Electric Reliability Corporation

1325 G Street N.W., Suite 600

Washington, D.C. 20005

Attention: Shamai Elstein

Counsel for North American Electric Reliability Corporation

Reference: Retirement of Regional Reliability Standard TOP-007-WECC-1a

Dear Mr. Elstein:

On March 23, 2016, as supplemented on November 16, 2016, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) filed a joint petition to retire regional Reliability Standard TOP-007-WECC-1a - System Operating Limits (“SOL”). The purpose of the proposed retirement is to shift away from the path-centric model and allow entities in the Western Interconnection to align their operating practices with the framework established in the continent-wide TOP/IRO Reliability Standards approved in Order No. 817, which, according to NERC and WECC, achieve the objective of operating within acceptable pre- and post-contingency reliability criteria (i.e., within SOLs and Interconnection Reliability Operating Limits (“IROL”).¹

NERC and WECC state that each of the facilities comprising the 40 major WECC transmission paths would be monitored in accordance with the TOP/IRO Reliability Standards and subject to associated mitigation requirements should there be an expected or actual exceedance of an SOL or IROL on the paths.²

NERC’s and WECC’s joint filing was noticed on February 10, 2017, with interventions, comments and protests due on or before March 3, 2017. Western Area Power Administration and Bonneville Power Administration filed comments in support of the joint petition, but did not intervene. No petitions to intervene or comments opposing the NERC and WECC joint filing were submitted.

NERC’s uncontested petition is hereby approved pursuant to the relevant authority delegated to the Director, Office of Electric Reliability under 18 C.F.R. § 375.303 (2016), effective as of the date of this order.

This action shall not be construed as approving any other application, including proposed revisions of Electric Reliability Organization or Regional Entity rules or procedures pursuant to 18 C.F.R. § 375.303(a)(2)(i). Such action shall not be deemed as recognition of any claimed right or obligation associated therewith and such action is without prejudice to any findings or orders that have been or may hereafter be made by the Commission in any proceeding now pending or hereafter instituted by or against the Electric Reliability Organization or any Regional Entity.

This order constitutes final agency action. Requests for rehearing by the Commission may be filed within 30 days of the date of issuance of this order, pursuant to 18 C.F.R. § 385.713 (2016).

Sincerely,

Michael Bardee, Director

Office of Electric Reliability

1 Supplemental Filing at 3.

2 Id. at 2-3.