Related Files
Status
A 10-day final ballot for COM-001-3 - Communications concluded 8 p.m. Eastern, Friday, June 24, 2016. The voting results can be accessed via the links below. The standard will be submitted to the Board of Trustees for adoption and then filed with the appropriate regulatory authorities.
Background
The project will address the directive from FERC Order No. 808 to modify the COM-001-2 standard or develop a new standard to address “internal communications capabilities that could involve the issuance or receipt of Operating Instructions or other communications that could have an impact on reliability.” See Order No. 808, at P 1 and P 41.
Standard(s) Affected: COM-001-2 - Communications
Purpose/Industry Need
On April 16, 2015, FERC issued Order No. 808, Communications Reliability Standards. In this order, FERC approved COM-001-2 and also directed that NERC to either develop a new standard or make the following modification to the existing COM-001-2 standard:
[FERC] direct[s] NERC to develop modifications to COM-001-2, or to develop a new standard, to address our concerns regarding ensuring the adequacy of internal communications capability whenever internal communications could directly affect the reliable operation of the Bulk-Power System. See Order No. 808, at P 41.
[T]he Commission directs NERC to develop a modification to Reliability Standard COM-001-2 that addresses internal communications capabilities that could involve the issuance or receipt of Operating Instructions or other communications that could have an impact on reliability.
FERC’s directive thus encompasses a directive that the modified or new standard “address the adequacy of internal telecommunications (or other internal communication systems) that may have an adverse effect on reliability, even within a single functional entity, including: (1) communications between geographically separate control centers within the same functional entity; and (2) communications between a control center and field personnel. These scenarios present a gap in reliability of the Bulk-Power System that NERC should address.” See Order No. 808, at P 41.
