FERC Issues NOPR to Approve Reliability Standard TPL-001-5

On June 20, 2019, in Docket No. RM19-10-000, FERC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) proposing to approve Reliability Standard TPL-001-5 (Transmission System Planning Performance Requirements). The TPL-001 Reliability Standards set forth requirements for Planning Authorities and Transmission Planners to develop studies of their portions of the Bulk Electric System (BES). Reliability Standard TPL-001-5 improves upon currently effective Reliability Standard TPL-001-4 by providing more extensive planning studies. Specifically, this Reliability Standard requires each Planning Authority and Transmission Planner to perform an annual Planning Assessment of its portion of the BES covering a number of System conditions and Contingencies described in the standard. Additionally, the standard addresses two Commission directives from Order No. 786. The NOPR also proposes to direct NERC to modify the Reliability Standards to require corrective action plans for protection system single points of failure in combination with a three-phase fault if planning studies indicate potential cascading.