Three NERC Reliability Standard updates coming soon that registered entities should be aware of

NERC Reliability Standards are continually evolving, and ReliabilityFirst (RF) is here to help with what registered entities need to know, including potential impacts to your compliance program and when new standard versions will become effective. As we enter the later part of 2025, we can anticipate changes to the following:

• IRO-010-5: Reliability Coordinator Data and Information Specification and Collection
• TOP-003-6.1: Transmission Operator and Balancing Authority Data and Information Specification and Collection
• TOP-002-5: Operations Planning

IRO-010-5 and TOP-003-6.1

NERC’s Project 2021-06 focuses on updating IRO-010-5, ensuring Reliability Coordinators have the data and information needed to plan, monitor, and assess the operation of their Reliability Coordinator Area; and TOP-003-6.1, ensuring Transmission Operators (TOP) and Balancing Authorities (BA) have the data and information needed to plan, monitor, and asses the operations of the TOP or BA area. Both of these updates will become effective July 1, 2025.

What’s changing?

Overall, changes were made to both standards to allow flexibility for both those requesting and receiving data and information by not having a prescriptive process of what is required through the standard. The updates include expanding IRO-010-5 and TOP-003-6.1 R1 to allow requestors and respondents to address issues through processes they establish, including deadlines, performance criteria, as well as data corrections and updates. This should foster collaboration and drive success by making it easier for both parties to request and receive data and information through their agreed upon process.

The new versions also enhanced the “data specification” approach to reduce the administrative burdens of excessive data retention. They now use both data and information to better describe the broader scope of requirements that an entity considers necessary to perform the four reliability tasks: Operational Planning Analysis, Real-time Assessments, Real-time monitoring, and Balancing Authority analysis functions.

Although considered, no requirements were retired as a result of the Standards Drafting Team’s review under Project 2021-06.

For a detailed summary of the changes made to IRO-010-5, please refer to the Technical Rationale for Reliability Standard IRO-010-5.

For a detailed summary of the changes made to TOP-003-6.1, please refer to the Technical Rationale for Reliability Standard TOP-003-6.

TOP-002-5

Part of NERC’s Project-2021-07 focuses on updating TOP-002-5¹, which ensures that Transmission Operators and Balancing Authorities have plans for operating within specified limits. It will become effective Oct. 1, 2025.

This stems from recommendations included in the February 2021 Cold Weather Outages FERC, NERC and Regional Entity Staff Report, which request applicable registrations provide more specificity around the roles of Generator Owners, Generator Operators and Balancing Authorities in determining the generating unit capacity that can be relied upon during cold weather events.

What’s changing?

TOP-002-5 R8 is a newly added requirement which states that each Balancing Authority shall have an extreme cold weather Operating Process for its Balancing Authority Area, addressing preparations for operations during extreme cold weather periods.

The content of Requirement R8 is similar to what is required in the Operating Plan in Requirement R4 except for Interchange Scheduling which is not required here because this function is typically done in real time on an hourly basis. The Balancing Authority is now required to address the increased uncertainty related to these extreme weather events in a manner appropriate and adequate for their Balancing Authority Area. Each Balancing Authority can develop a methodology consistent with the requirement they feel provides the best solutions to sustain an adequate level of reliability during an upcoming extreme cold weather event.

For a detailed summary of the changes made to TOP-002-5, please refer to the Technical Rationale and for TOP-002-5.

 

Additional references:

White Paper for 2021-06 Modifications to IRO-010 and TOP-003: https://www.nerc.com/pa/Stand/202105%20Modifications%20to%20IRO010%20and%20TOP003%20DL/2021-06_Mod_to_IRO-010_and_TOP-003_White_Paper_Clean_05052023.pdf

IRO-010-5: https://www.nerc.com/pa/Stand/Reliability%20Standards/IRO-010-5.pdf

TOP-003-6.1: https://www.nerc.com/pa/Stand/Reliability%20Standards/TOP-003-6.1.pdf

TOP-002-5: https://www.nerc.com/pa/Stand/Reliability%20Standards/TOP-002-5.pdf

 

1. EOP-012-2 is the other Standard under Project-2021-07, which became effective Oct. 1, 2024.