NERC Proposes Modified Definition of Bulk Electric System
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) has proposed that all transmission facilities operated at 100 kV or higher and all real and reactive power resources connected to the grid at 100 kV or higher be subject to its Reliability Standards. In NERC’s January 25, 2012 petition to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve its revised definition of “Bulk Electric System” (BES) – the term used by NERC to identify the electric transmission, generation and related facilities subject to the Reliability Standards – NERC adopted 100 kV as a bright-line threshold for identifying BES facilities, but also included all blackstart resources regardless of size or voltage level. NERC’s revised definition would exclude local distribution and radial facilities. Although the 100-kV threshold is the defining element of the revised definition, owners and operators of facilities subject to BES designation will have an opportunity to seek an exception using NERC’s BES Exception Procedure proposed in connection with the revised definition of BES. Read more.
