17-07-08 Emphasizing that power grid reliability standards are not static once they are approved by the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the agency modified five reliability standards following recommendations and comments from the industry.
The modifications deal with scheduling and coordination of power flows, and they approve interpretations by the North American Electric Reliability Corp. of standards approved in 2007 when FERC gave the go-ahead to an initial set of 83 reliability standards.

FERC is also seeking an explanation on a sixth modified standard related to transmission loading relief, directing NERC to give explanations of how the use of TLR, which relieves grid congestion, should be used in conjunction with other measures, FERC staff said at the agency's monthly open meeting.
When it approved the 83 standards, the commission directed NERC to develop modifications to 56 of the standards, and the action is the first step in a continuing process of modifications and refinements to reliability rules, commissioners said at the meeting.

"Under the approach we adopted last year, we can expect to see steady improvement in reliability standards over time."
"That should provide greater levels of system reliability as we strengthen approved standards and clarify the scope of approved standards," FERC Chairman Joseph Kelliher said.