Per-006-1

PER-006-1 – Specific Training for Personnel

A. Introduction
1. Title:

Specific Training for Personnel

2. Number:

PER-006-1

3. Purpose:
To ensure that personnel are trained on specific topics essential to
reliability to perform or support Real-time operations of the Bulk Electric System.
4. Applicability:
4.1. Functional Entities:
4.1.1. Generator Operator that has:
4.1.1.1. Plant personnel who are responsible for the Real-time control of a
generator and receive Operating Instruction(s) from the Generator
Operator’s Reliability Coordinator, Balancing Authority,
Transmission Operator, or centrally located dispatch center.
5. Effective Date: See Implementation Plan for Project 2007-06.2.

B. Requirements and Measures
R1.

Each Generator Operator shall provide training to personnel identified in Applicability
section 4.1.1.1. on the operational functionality of Protection Systems and Remedial
Action Schemes (RAS) that affect the output of the generating Facility(ies) it operates.
[Violation Risk Factor: Medium] [Time Horizon: Long-term Planning]

M1. Each Generator Operator shall have available for inspection, evidence that the
applicable personnel completed training. This evidence may be documents such as
training records showing successful completion of training that includes training
materials, the name of the person, and date of training.

C. Compliance
1. Compliance Monitoring Process
1.1. Compliance Enforcement Authority:
“Compliance Enforcement Authority” means NERC or the Regional Entity, or any
entity as otherwise designated by an Applicable Governmental Authority, in their
respective roles of monitoring and/or enforcing compliance with mandatory and
enforceable Reliability Standards in their respective jurisdictions.
1.2. Evidence Retention:
The following evidence retention period(s) identify the period of time an entity is
required to retain specific evidence to demonstrate compliance. For instances where
the evidence retention period specified below is shorter than the time since the last

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PER-006-1 – Specific Training for Personnel

audit, the Compliance Enforcement Authority may ask an entity to provide other
evidence to show that it was compliant for the full-time period since the last audit.
The applicable entity shall keep data or evidence to show compliance as identified
below unless directed by its Compliance Enforcement Authority to retain specific
evidence for a longer period of time as part of an investigation.
•

The Generator Operator shall keep data or evidence of Requirement R1 for
the current year and three previous calendar years.

1.3. Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Program
As defined in the NERC Rules of Procedure, “Compliance Monitoring and
Enforcement Program” refers to the identification of the processes that will be used
to evaluate data or information for the purpose of assessing performance or
outcomes with the associated Reliability Standard.

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PER-006-1 – Specific Training for Personnel

Violation Severity Levels
Violation Severity Levels

R#

Lower VSL

The Generator Operator
failed to provide training as
described in Requirement R1
to the greater of:

R1.

Moderate VSL

The Generator Operator
failed to provide training as
described in Requirement R1
to the greater of:

High VSL

The Generator Operator
failed to provide training as
described in Requirement R1
to the greater of:

Severe VSL

The Generator Operator
failed to provide training as
described in Requirement R1
to the greater of:

•

one applicable
personnel at a single
Facility, or

•

two applicable
personnel at a single
Facility, or

•

three applicable
personnel at a single
Facility, or

•

five or more applicable
personnel at a single
Facility, or

•

5% or less of the total
applicable personnel of
the Generator Operator.

•

more than 5% and less
than or equal to 10% of
the total applicable
personnel of the
Generator Operator.

•

more than 10% and less
than or equal to 15% of
the total applicable
personnel of the
Generator Operator.

•

more than 15% of the
total applicable
personnel of the
Generator Operator.

OR
The Generator Operator
failed to provide training as
described in Requirement R1
to its applicable personnel.

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PER-006-1 – Specific Training for Personnel

D. Regional Variances
None.

E. Associated Documents
Project 2007-06.2 Implementation Plan 1

http://www.nerc.com/pa/Stand/Project200706_2SystemProtectionCoordinationDL/Project_2007_06_2_Imp_
Plan_Draft_1_2016_03_10_Clean.pdf
1

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PER-006-1 – Specific Training for Personnel

Version History
Version

Date

Action

1

August 11,
2016

Adopted by the NERC Board of
Trustees

1

June 7, 2018

FERC Order issued approving PER006-1. Docket No. RM16-22-000.

1

August
13,2018

FERC Approved

1

October 1,
2020

Effective Date

1

April 1, 2021

Effective Date

Change Tracking

New standard developed
under Project 2007-06.2

Effective dates delayed to
April 1, 2021 due to
COVID-19 per FERC Order

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PER-006-1 – Supplemental Material

Guidelines and Technical Basis
Requirement R1
The Generator Operator (GOP) monitors and controls its generating Facilities in Real-time to
maintain reliability. To accomplish this, applicable plant personnel responsible for Real-time
control of a generating Facility must be trained on how the operational functionality of Protection
Systems and Remedial Action Schemes (RAS) are applied and the affects they may have on a
generating Facility. Although, training does not have to be Facility-specific, the standard applies
to plant operating personnel associated with the specific Facility to which they have Real-time
control. This does not include plant personnel not responsible for Real-time control (e.g., fuel or
coal handlers, electricians, machinists, or maintenance staff).
A periodicity for training is not specified in Requirement R1 because the GOP must ensure its
plant personnel who have Real-time control of a generator are trained. The Generator Operator
must also ensure it provides applicable training that results from changes to the operational
functionality of the Protection Systems and Remedial Action Schemes that affect the output of
the generation Facility(ies).
The phrase “operational functionality” focuses the training on how Protection Systems operate
and prevent possible damage to Elements. It also addresses how RAS detects pre-determined
BES conditions and automatically takes corrective actions.
Considerations for operational functionality may include, but are not limited to the following:
•

Purpose of protective relays and RAS

•

Zones of protection

•

Protection communication systems (e.g., line current differential, direct transfer trip, etc.)

•

Voltage and current inputs

•

Station dc supply associated with protective functions

•

Resulting actions – tripping/closing of breakers; tripping of a generator step-up (GSU)
transformer; or generator ramping/tripping control functions

Requirement R1 focuses on the operational functionality of Protection Systems and Remedial
Action Schemes specific to the generating plant and not the Bulk Electric System.
This requirement focuses on those systems that are related to the electrical output of the
generator. Protective systems which trip breakers serving station auxiliary loads (e.g., such as
pumps, fans, or fuel handling equipment) are not included in the scope of this training.
Furthermore, protection of secondary unit substation (SUS) or low voltage switchgear
transformers and relays protecting other downstream plant electrical distribution system
components are not in the scope of this training, even if a trip of these devices might eventually
result in a trip of the generating unit.
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PER-006-1 – Supplemental Material
Rationale

Rationale for Requirement R1: Protection Systems and Remedial Action Schemes (RAS) are an
integral part of reliable Bulk Electric System (BES) operation. This requirement addresses the
reliability objective of ensuring that Generator Operator (GOP) plant operating personnel
understand the operational functionality of Protection Systems and RAS and their effects on
generating Facilities.

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