PGDTF,

FERC approved the revision to the GMD Planning TPL-007-2 today , 11/15/2018 as part of their consent agenda.  The Vulnerability Assessment for the supplemental GMD event (12 V/km) is to be performed on the same timeline as the Vulnerability Assessment for the benchmark event (8 V/km).  Following are excerpts from a news reports on the decision.  Commissioner LaFluer’s comments were made during her opening remarks.

I suggest an agenda item for our next meeting to discuss how PGDTF and ERCOT will incorporate the new requirements in TPL-007-2.

Thanks,

Mike

FERC approves a reliability standard

E-3, Geomagnetic Disturbance Reliability Standard; Reliability Standard for Transmission System Planned Performance for Geomagnetic Disturbance Events, Docket Nos. RM18-8-000, RM15-11-003. This final rule addresses proposed Reliability Standard TPL-007-2 (Transmission System Planned Performance for Geomagnetic Disturbance Events) submitted by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC). The proposed Reliability Standard was developed and submitted by NERC in response to a Commission directive in Order No. 830 to modify currently effective Reliability Standard TPL-007-1. The final rule also addresses the revised Geomagnetic Disturbance research work plan submitted by NERC in response to a Commission order issued on October 19, 2017.

FERC's Order

In its Nov. 15 final rule — Order 851 — FERC largely approved the proposed reliability standard while requiring NERC to make two key changes.

First, the commission directed NERC to develop and submit modifications to the standard that require corrective action plans to mitigate assessed GMD events that do not rely on a definition based entirely on spatially averaged data. "I believe this will help to ensure there is not a gap in GMD protections," Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur said during the agency's Nov. 15 regular open meeting.

Second, FERC directed NERC to include language stating that extensions to implement corrective actions plans will be granted on a case-by-case basis. Under NERC's initial proposed standard, entities would have been allowed to unilaterally extend their corrective action plan deadlines if "situations beyond the control of the responsible entity ... prevent implementation of the [corrective action plan] within the timetable." But LaFleur said she believes the mandated change "will help ensure that the standards are actually met and allow visibility into the state of GMD protections on the grid."

FERC also approved a revised NERC research plan that includes an analysis of 10 to 20 "localized extreme events and collection of both ground-based and space-based data around the times of these events."

In its order, FERC also addressed comments from the Foundation for Resilient Societies asking the commission to address combined GMD and electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, protection. EMPs are deliberate, man-made events that can create a lot of the same problems, such as overheating transformers, as a GMD event. FERC responded that EMPs are outside the scope of the commission's directive regarding GMD research.

At the meeting, however, LaFleur said EMPs are a subject she is "closely following."

"There's a lot of important work going on on the effects of electromagnetic pulse on the electric grid being done at Los Alamos National Lab and at the [Electric Power Research Institute], and I am hoping their conclusions will help shed light on how we can best protect the grid," LaFleur said. (FERC dockets RM18-8, RM15-11)