FERC Issues Order Granting Access to NERC Databases

On June 16, 2016, in Docket No. RM15-25, FERC issued Order No. 824 amending its regulations to require NERC to provide FERC and its staff with access, on a non-public and ongoing basis, to certain databases compiled and maintained by NERC.  FERC will now have access to: (1 the Transmission Availability Data System; (2) the Generating Availability Data System; and (3) the protection system misoperations database.  Access to the databases is limited to data regarding U.S. facilities provided to NERC on a mandatory basis and will provide FERC with information necessary to determine the need for new or modified Reliability Standards and to better understand NERC’s periodic reliability and adequacy assessments.