On March 7, 2014 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued an order giving the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) 90 days to submit for approval reliability standards designed to increase physical protection of facilities that are critical to the reliability of the U.S. bulk power system. FERC also directs NERC to develop a plan that requires owners and operators to implement the reliability standards in a “timely fashion.” The order is a response to political pressure on FERC from a number of U.S. Senators following the recent attack on a transmission substation in California last year. FERC has indicated that it will consider the reliability standards submitted by NERC in a future rulemaking docket, which will include an opportunity for comment. In the interim, anyone wishing to participate in the reliability standard development process must file with FERC to intervene by March 28, 2014.
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