FERC Issues Order Setting Deadline for Submittal of Modifications to Reliability Standard BAL-003

On March 18, 2010, in Docket No. RM06-16, FERC issued an order directing NERC to submit within six months a modification to Reliability Standard BAL-003-0 that responds to the Commission’s directive in Order No. 693.  Specifically, in Order No. 693, the Commission directed NERC to develop certain modifications to certain Reliability Standards, including: (1) a determination of the appropriate periodicity of frequency response surveys necessary to ensure that Requirement R2 and other requirements of the Reliability Standard are being met; and, (2) a modification to BAL-003-0 that defines the necessary amount of frequency response needed for reliable operation for each balancing authority with methods of obtaining and measuring that the frequency response is achieved. Although the Commission, in Order No. 693, did not set a deadline for submitting modifications to BAL-003-0, the Commission notes that almost three years have passed since the issuance of the directive in Order No. 693 and NERC has not yet submitted the required modifications. To read the Commission order, click here.