FERC gave preliminary approval to the second stage of its reliability standard to protect the grid from geomagnetic disturbances (GMD).

FERC has required NERC to determine the severity of a “benchmark” GMD event — the threshold against which covered entities would evaluate their system’s vulnerability and develop protective strategies.

Since the EPA proposed its Clean Power Plan, the idea that the final rule should include a reliability safety valve has become an article of faith among utility, state and RTO officials.

A round-up of news from the PJM Operating Committee on May 5, 2015.

FERC's April 16 decision not to change the start of the gas day is forcing SPP to make an uncomfortable choice between risks, stakeholders said last week.

The PJM regulation market is purchasing too much from fast-responding “RegD” resources, negatively affecting regulation and reliability, the IMM said.

MISO and ISO-NE said they have sufficient resources to meet summer demand but warned that their reserve margins are shrinking due to plant retirements.

NYISO can force idled generators to allow use of their interconnections for reliability purposes, FERC ruled last week, saying that such actions do not constitute an unconstitutional “taking” under the Fifth Amendment.

The SPP Board of Directors approved staff’s recommendation that it authorize construction for a 21-mile 115-kV line from Walkemeyer to North Liberal as part of a reliability solution in southwestern Kansas.

A summary of measures and issues discussed at the SPP Board of Directors/Members Committee meeting on April 28, 2015.