From: Platts
In the face of congressional pressure, US regulators are taking steps to require the electricity industry to bolster physical security at key facilities on the grid, while at the same time emphasizing that stronger
defenses will not be required at most facilities.
The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Friday directed the North American Electric Reliability Corp. to within 90 days propose reliability standards to “address physical security risks and vulnerabilities related to the reliable operation of the bulk-power system.”
In a statement issued with the order, Acting Chairman Cheryl LaFleur said the steps would complement current efforts by FERC and the electric industry to protect the grid while also enhancing the system’s
resilience.
One FERC commissioner, however, is expressing concern that the order’s approach could limit collaboration between the commission and industry, while also warning that efforts to protect the grid should not just be focused on physical threats.
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But Commissioner John Norris raised concerns the order could limit FERC’s collaboration with industry in the near term, given that FERC rules will bar the commission from communicating with parties during the NERC standard-development process.
“I believe that the standards development process could be weakened by this lack of engagement between the commission and industry during that process,” Norris said in a concurrence with the order, saying as well that the order’s approach “will inappropriately preclude an open and transparent process in which all interested parties would be able to engage with the commission as the standards development process gets underway.”
Norris went on to say that “I believe the order does not sufficiently justify the uniquely expedited nature of the standard development process, particularly when it will foreclose the commission from engaging with stakeholders during that process. It would have been my preference to utilize an expedited rulemaking process for addressing this proposed reliability standard to allow the commission to continue to engage with industry throughout the standard development process.”
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