145 FERC ¶ 61,141

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION

18 CFR Part 40

[Docket No. RM13-13-000; Order No. 789]

Regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2 – Contingency Reserve

(Issued November 21, 2013)

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: Under section 215 of the Federal Power Act, the Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission (Commission) approves regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-

WECC-2 (Contingency Reserve). The North American Electric Reliability Corporation 

(NERC) and Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) submitted the regional 

Reliability Standard to the Commission for approval. The regional Reliability Standard 

applies to balancing authorities and reserve sharing groups in the WECC Region and is 

meant to specify the quantity and types of contingency reserve required to ensure 

reliability under normal and abnormal conditions. 

EFFECTIVE DATE: This rule will become effective [INSERT DATE 60 days after 

publication in the FEDERAL REGISTER].
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 2 -

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Andrés López Esquerra (Technical Information)

Office of Electric Reliability, Division of Reliability Standards 

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 

888 First Street, NE 

Washington, DC 20426 

Telephone: (202) 502-6128

Andres.Lopez@ferc.gov

Matthew Vlissides (Legal Information)

Office of the General Counsel

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

888 First Street, NE 

Washington, DC 20426

Telephone: (202) 502-8408

Matthew.Vlissides@ferc.gov 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
145 FERC ¶ 61,141

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION

Before Commissioners: Jon Wellinghoff, Chairman;

 Philip D. Moeller, John R. Norris,

 Cheryl A. LaFleur, and Tony Clark.

Regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2 –

Contingency Reserve

Docket No. RM13-13-000

ORDER NO. 789

FINAL RULE

(Issued November 21, 2013)

1. Under section 215 of the Federal Power Act (FPA),1 the Commission approves

regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2 (Contingency Reserve). The North 

American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and Western Electricity Coordinating 

Council (WECC) submitted the regional Reliability Standard to the Commission for 

approval. The WECC regional Reliability Standard applies to balancing authorities and 

reserve sharing groups in the WECC Region and is meant to specify the quantity and 

types of contingency reserve required to ensure reliability under normal and abnormal 

conditions. 

2. The Commission approves the associated violation risk factors (VRFs) and 

violation severity levels (VSLs), implementation plan, and effective date proposed by 

 1 16 U.S.C. 824o.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 2 -

NERC and WECC. The Commission also approves the retirement of WECC regional 

Reliability Standard BAL-STD-002-0 (Operating Reserves) and the removal of two 

WECC Regional Definitions, “Non-Spinning Reserve” and “Spinning Reserve,” from the 

Glossary of Terms Used in NERC Reliability Standards (NERC Glossary).

2

 In addition, 

the Commission directs NERC to submit an informational filing after the first two years 

of implementation of regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2 that addresses the 

adequacy of contingency reserve in the Western Interconnection.

I. Background

A. Mandatory Reliability Standards

3. Section 215(c) of the FPA requires a Commission-certified Electric Reliability 

Organization (ERO) to develop mandatory and enforceable Reliability Standards that are 

subject to Commission review and approval. Once approved, the Reliability Standards 

may be enforced by NERC, subject to Commission oversight, or by the Commission 

independently.3

4. A Regional Entity may develop a Reliability Standard for Commission approval to 

be effective in that region only.4

 In Order No. 672, the Commission stated that:

 2 North American Electric Reliability Corporation Definitions Used in the Rules of 

Procedure, Appendix 2 to the NERC Rules of Procedure (effective September 3, 2013). 

3 16 U.S.C. 824o(e).

4 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(4). A Regional Entity is an entity that has been approved by 

the Commission to enforce Reliability Standards under delegated authority from the 

ERO. See 16 U.S.C. 824o(a)(7) and (e)(4).
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 3 -

As a general matter, we will accept the following two types of 

regional differences, provided they are otherwise just, 

reasonable, not unduly discriminatory or preferential and in 

the public interest, as required under the statute: (1) a 

regional difference that is more stringent than the continentwide Reliability Standard, including a regional difference that 

addresses matters that the continent-wide Reliability Standard 

does not; and (2) a regional Reliability Standard that is 

necessitated by a physical difference in the Bulk-Power 

System.5

5. On April 19, 2007, the Commission accepted delegation agreements between 

NERC and each of the eight Regional Entities.6

 In the order, the Commission accepted 

WECC as a Regional Entity.

B. NERC Reliability Standard BAL-002-1 (Disturbance Control 

Performance)

6. In Order No. 693, the Commission approved NERC Reliability Standard BAL002-0.7

 On January 10, 2011, the Commission approved a revised version of the NERC 

Reliability Standard, BAL-002-1 (Disturbance Control Performance), which NERC 

 5 Rules Concerning Certification of the Electric Reliability Organization; and 

Procedures for the Establishment, Approval, and Enforcement of Electric Reliability 

Standards, Order No. 672, FERC Stats. & Regs. ¶ 31,204, at P 291, order on reh’g, 

Order No. 672-A, FERC Stats. & Regs. ¶ 31,212 (2006). 

6 North American Electric Reliability Corp., 119 FERC ¶ 61,060, order on reh’g, 

120 FERC ¶ 61,260 (2007).

7 Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System, Order No. 693, 

FERC Stats. & Regs. ¶ 31,242, order on reh’g, Order No. 693-A, 120 FERC ¶ 61,053 

(2007).
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 4 -

developed and submitted to address directives contained in Order No. 693.8

 The purpose 

of NERC Reliability Standard BAL-002-1 is to ensure that a balancing authority is able 

to use its contingency reserve to balance resources and demand and return 

Interconnection frequency within defined limits following a Reportable Disturbance.9

C. WECC Regional Reliability Standard BAL-STD-002-0

7. On June 8, 2007, the Commission approved WECC regional Reliability Standard 

BAL-STD-002-0, which is currently in effect.

10 The Commission stated that regional 

Reliability Standard BAL-STD-002-0 was more stringent than the NERC Reliability 

Standard BAL-002-0 because the WECC regional Reliability Standard required: (1) a 

more stringent minimum reserve requirement; and (2) restoration of contingency reserves 

within 60 minutes, as opposed to the 90-minute restoration period required by the NERC

Reliability Standard BAL-002-0.

11 The Commission directed WECC to make minor 

modifications to regional Reliability Standard BAL-STD-002-0. For example, the 

 8 North American Electric Reliability Corp., 134 FERC ¶ 61,015 (2011).

9 The NERC Glossary defines Contingency Reserve as “[t]he provision of capacity 

deployed by the Balancing Authority to meet the Disturbance Control Standard (DCS) 

and other NERC and Regional Reliability Organization contingency requirements.” The 

NERC Glossary defines Reportable Disturbance as “[a]ny event that causes an [Area 

Control Error (ACE)] change greater than or equal to 80% of a Balancing Authority’s or 

reserve sharing group’s most severe contingency. The definition of a reportable 

disturbance is specified by each Regional Reliability Organization. This definition may 

not be retroactively adjusted in response to observed performance.”

10 North American Electric Reliability Corp., 119 FERC ¶ 61,260 (2007).

11 Id. P 53.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 5 -

Commission determined that: (1) regional definitions should conform to definitions 

set forth in the NERC Glossary unless a specific deviation has been justified; and 

(2) documents that are referenced in the Reliability Standard should be attached to the 

Reliability Standards. The Commission also found that it is important that regional 

Reliability Standards and NERC Reliability Standards achieve a reasonable level of 

consistency in their structure so that there is a common understanding of the elements. 

Finally, the Commission directed WECC to address stakeholder concerns regarding 

ambiguities in the terms “load responsibility” and “firm transaction.”12

D. Remanded WECC Regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-1

8. On March 25, 2009, NERC submitted to the Commission for approval WECC 

regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-1 (Contingency Reserves). In Order 

No. 740, the Commission remanded regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-1.13 

In Order No. 740, the Commission identified five issues with remanded regional 

Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-1: (1) the restoration period for contingency 

reserve; (2) the calculation of minimum contingency reserve; (3) the use of firm load to 

meet the contingency reserve requirement; (4) the use of demand-side management as a 

resource; and (5) miscellaneous directives.

14

 12 Id. P 56.

13 Version One Regional Reliability Standard for Resource and Demand 

Balancing, Order No. 740, 75 FR 65,964, 133 FERC ¶ 61,063 (2010).

14 Order No. 740, 133 FERC ¶ 61,063 at PP 26, 39, 49, 60, 66.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 6 -

1. Restoration Period for Contingency Reserve

9. The Commission stated that, while the currently-effective WECC regional 

Reliability Standard BAL-STD-002-0 requires restoration of contingency reserve within 

60 minutes, the remanded WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-1 

would have extended the restoration period to 90 minutes. The Commission determined 

that NERC and WECC did not justify the extension of the reserve restoration period from 

60 minutes to 90 minutes or that such an extension created an acceptable level of risk 

within the Western Interconnection. 

2. Calculation of Minimum Contingency Reserve

10. The Commission stated that WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-STD002-0 currently requires that minimum contingency reserve must equal the greater of: 

(1) the loss of generating capacity due to forced outages of generation or transmission 

equipment that would result from the most severe single contingency or (2) the sum of 

five percent of load responsibility served by hydro generation and seven percent of the 

load responsibility served by thermal generation. The remanded WECC regional 

Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-1 included a similar requirement, except that 

instead of basing the calculation of minimum contingency reserve on the sum of

five percent of load responsibility served by hydro generation and seven percent of the 

load responsibility served by thermal generation, the minimum contingency reserve 

calculation would be based on the sum of three percent of load (generation minus station 

service minus net actual interchange) plus three percent of net generation (generation 

minus station service). 
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 7 -

11. WECC submitted eight hours of data from each of the four operating seasons 

(summer, fall, winter, and spring, both on and off-peak), which demonstrated that the 

proposed methodology for calculating minimum contingency reserve would reduce total 

contingency reserve required in the Western Interconnection for each of the eight hours 

assessed when compared with the methodology in the currently-effective WECC regional 

Reliability Standard BAL-STD-002-0. 

12. The Commission accepted WECC’s proposal, finding that “WECC’s proposed 

calculation of minimum contingency reserves is more stringent than the national 

requirement and could be part of a future proposal that the Commission could find to be 

just, reasonable, not unduly discriminatory or preferential, and in the public interest.”15 

The Commission observed, however, that “WECC also states that the proposed regional 

Reliability Standard does not excuse any non-performance with the continent-wide 

Disturbance Control Standard, which requires each balancing authority or reserve sharing 

group to activate sufficient contingency reserve to comply with the Disturbance Control 

Standard.”16 

13. The Commission also stated that, if WECC resubmitted its proposed methodology 

for calculating minimum contingency reserve, WECC and NERC could support its 

proposal with “audits specifically focused on contingency reserves and whether the 

 15 Id. P 39.

16 Id. 
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 8 -

balancing authorities are meeting the adequacy and deliverability requirements ... [t]his 

auditing also could address the concerns raised by some entities in WECC that the 

original eight hours of data provided in NERC’s petition is insufficient to demonstrate 

that the proposed minimum contingency reserve requirements are sufficiently stringent to 

ensure that entities within the Western Interconnection will meet the requirements of 

NERC’s continent-wide Disturbance Control Standard, BAL-002-0.”17

3. Use of Firm Load to Meet Contingency Reserve Requirement

14. In the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking preceding Order No. 740, the Commission 

stated that, unlike the currently-effective regional Reliability Standard BAL-STD-002-0, 

the remanded regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-1 was not technically sound 

because it allowed balancing authorities and reserve sharing groups within WECC to use 

firm load to meet their minimum contingency reserve requirements once the reliability 

coordinator declared a capacity or energy emergency.18 However, in Order No. 740, the 

Commission accepted WECC’s proposal finding that, although remanded regional 

Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-1 allowed balancing authorities and reserve 

sharing groups to use “Load, other than Interruptible Load, once the Reliability 

Coordinator has declared a capacity or energy emergency,” these entities would not be 

authorized to shed firm load unless the applicable reliability coordinator had issued a 

 17 Id. P 40.

18 Id. P 43.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 9 -

level 3 energy emergency alert pursuant to Reliability Standard EOP-002-2.1. The 

Commission directed WECC to develop revised language to clarify this point.19

4. Demand-Side Management as a Resource

15. The Commission determined that remanded regional Reliability Standard 

BAL-002-WECC-1 did not allow demand-side management that is technically capable of 

providing this service to be used as a resource for contingency reserve. The Commission 

directed WECC to develop modifications that would explicitly provide that demand-side 

management technically capable of providing this service may be used as a resource for 

both spinning and non-spinning contingency reserve.

20

5. Miscellaneous Directives

16. The Commission directed WECC to consider comments regarding the meaning of 

the term “net generation.” The Commission also directed WECC to consider comments 

stating that the WECC regional Reliability Standard did not assign any responsibility or 

obligations on generator owners and generator operators, and that balancing authorities 

may be required to carry a disproportionate share of the contingency reserve obligation 

within the Western Interconnection.21

 19 Id. PP 48-49.

20 Id. P 61.

21 Id. P 66.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 10 -

E. Proposed Regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2

17. On April 12, 2013, NERC and WECC petitioned the Commission to approve 

regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2 and the associated violation risk factors 

and violation severity levels, effective date, and implementation plan. The petition also 

requests retirement of the currently-effective WECC regional Reliability Standard 

BAL-STD-002-0 and removal of two WECC Regional Definitions, “Non-Spinning 

Reserve” and “Spinning Reserve,” from the NERC Glossary. The petition states that the 

proposed WECC regional Reliability Standard is just, reasonable, not unduly 

discriminatory or preferential, and in the public interest because it satisfies the factors set 

forth in Order No. 672, which the Commission applies when reviewing a proposed 

Reliability Standard.22 

18. NERC states in the petition that the Resource and Demand Balancing (BAL) 

group of Reliability Standards ensure that resources and demand are balanced to maintain 

Interconnection frequency within limits. The petition states that the purpose of NERC 

Reliability Standard BAL-002-1 (Disturbance Control Performance) is to ensure the 

balancing authority is able to use contingency reserve to balance resources and demand 

and return Interconnection frequency within defined limits following a Reportable 

Disturbance. NERC maintains that the purpose of the proposed WECC regional 

Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2 is to provide a regional Reliability Standard that 

 22 Petition, Exhibit A.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 11 -

specifies the quantity and types of contingency reserve required to ensure reliability 

under normal and abnormal conditions.

23 

19. NERC asserts that the proposed regional Reliability Standard addresses the 

five issues identified in Order No. 740, which remanded the previously proposed WECC 

regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-1. First, the petition explains that 

proposed regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2, Requirement R1, includes a 

60-minute restoration period for contingency reserve, which is the same as the currentlyeffective regional WECC Reliability Standard BAL-STD-002-0.

24 

20. Second, the petition includes two-years of additional data to support the method 

for calculating minimum contingency reserve proposed in WECC regional Reliability 

Standard BAL-002-WECC-2, Requirement R1, which is the same as the calculation 

proposed and accepted by the Commission in the remanded WECC regional Reliability 

Standard BAL-002-WECC-1.

25 

21. Third, the petition states that the proposed WECC regional Reliability Standard 

BAL-002-WECC-2, Requirement R1, was modified to clarify that balancing authorities 

and reserve sharing groups within WECC are subject to the same restrictions regarding 

the use of firm load for contingency reserve as balancing authorities elsewhere operating 

 23 Petition at 2.

24 Id. at 12.

25 Id. at 13-16.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 12 -

under the NERC Reliability Standards. NERC indicates that it has clarified the 

connection to the Energy Emergency Level 3 by incorporating language from Reliability 

Standard EOP-002-2.1, Attachment 1, Section B, into WECC regional Reliability 

Standard BAL-002-WECC-2, Requirement R1.26 

22. Fourth, according to the petition, WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-

WECC-2, Requirement R1 was modified to explicitly provide that demand-side 

management technically capable of providing the service may be used as a resource for 

contingency reserve.

27 

23. Fifth, the petition states that WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-

WECC-2 replaces the term “net generation” with the phrase “generating energy values 

average over each Clock Hour.” The petition notes that the regional Reliability Standard

also includes a reference to Opinion No. 464, which addresses the issue of behind-themeter generation, in response to comments raised in the Order No. 740 rulemaking.

28 

The petition also states that WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2 

allows for impacted balancing authorities and reserve sharing groups to enter into 

transactions to provide contingency reserve for another balancing authority or procure 

contingency reserve from another balancing authority to more equitably allocate 

 26 Id. at 18.

27 Id. at 16-18.

28 California Indep. Sys. Operation Corp., Opinion No. 464, 104 FERC ¶ 61,196 

(2003).
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 13 -

generation for purposes of the reserve calculation. The petition further states that the 

NERC Functional Model, Version 5, more closely aligns the tasks in the WECC regional 

Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2 with balancing authorities than to generator 

operators.29

F. Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

24. On July 18, 2013, the Commission issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 

(NOPR) proposing to approve regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2 as just, 

reasonable, not unduly discriminatory or preferential, and in the public interest. The 

Commission also proposed to approve the associated violation risk factors, violation 

severity levels, implementation plan, effective date, and the retirement of WECC regional 

Reliability Standard BAL-STD-002-0 (Operating Reserves) and the removal of two 

WECC Regional Definitions, “Non-Spinning Reserve” and “Spinning Reserve,” from the 

NERC Glossary. The NOPR stated that the WECC regional Reliability Standard is more 

stringent than the NERC Reliability Standard BAL-002-1 because the regional Reliability 

Standard requires applicable entities to restore contingency reserve within 60 minutes 

following the Disturbance Recovery Period while the NERC Reliability Standard only 

requires restoration of contingency reserve within 90 minutes. The NOPR also stated that 

the method for calculating minimum contingency reserve in the regional Reliability 

Standard is more stringent than Requirement R3.1 in NERC Reliability Standard 

 29 NERC, Reliability Functional Model, Version 5 (approved May 2010), 

available at http://www.nerc.com/files/Functional_Model_V5_Final_2009Dec1.pdf.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 14 -

BAL-002-1 because it requires minimum contingency reserve levels that will be at least 

equal to the NERC Reliability Standard minimum (i.e., equal to the most severe single 

contingency) and more often will be greater. The NOPR further stated that NERC and 

WECC addressed the directives in Order No. 740. In addition, the NOPR proposed to 

direct NERC to submit an informational filing after the first two years of implementation 

of regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2 that addresses the adequacy of 

contingency reserve in the Western Interconnection.

25. In response to the NOPR, NERC and WECC, jointly, and Powerex Corp.

(Powerex), Portland General Electric Company (Portland), California Independent 

System Operator Corporation (CAISO), and Tacoma Power (Tacoma) filed comments. 

We address below the issues raised in the NOPR and comments.

II. Discussion

26. Pursuant to FPA section 215(d)(2), we approve WECC regional Reliability 

Standard BAL-002-WECC-2 as just, reasonable, not unduly discriminatory or 

preferential, and in the public interest. For applicable entities in the WECC Region, 

regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2 specifies the quantity and types of 

contingency reserve required to ensure reliability under normal and abnormal conditions. 

WECC regional Reliability Standard is more stringent than the NERC Reliability 

Standard BAL-002-1 because the regional Reliability Standard requires applicable 

entities to restore contingency reserve within 60 minutes following the Disturbance 

Recovery Period while the NERC Reliability Standard only requires restoration of 

contingency reserve within 90 minutes. In addition, the method for calculating minimum 
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 15 -

contingency reserve in the regional Reliability Standard is more stringent than 

Requirement R3.1 in NERC Reliability Standard BAL-002-1 because it requires 

minimum contingency reserve levels that will be at least equal to the NERC Reliability 

Standard minimum (i.e., equal to the most severe single contingency) and more often will 

be greater.

30 We also conclude that NERC and WECC addressed the Commission’s 

directives in Order No. 740. In addition to approving regional Reliability Standard 

BAL-002-WECC-2, the Commission directs NERC to submit an informational filing 

after the first two years of implementation of the regional Reliability Standard that 

addresses the adequacy of contingency reserve in the Western Interconnection.

27. We discuss below the following issues raised in the NOPR and comments: 

(A) new methodology for calculating minimum contingency reserve; (B) elimination of 

interruptible imports requirement; (C) qualifying resources for contingency reserve;

(D) use of the term “Load”; (E) use of net generation data to calculate contingency 

reserve; (F) violation risk factors and violation severity levels; (G) removal of terms from 

the NERC Glossary; and (H) implementation plan and effective date. 

 30 As stated in Order No. 740, the proposed WECC regional Reliability Standard 

does not excuse non-performance with NERC Reliability Standard BAL-002-1. Order 

No. 740, 133 FERC ¶ 61,063 at P 39.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 16 -

A. New Methodology for Calculating Minimum Contingency Reserve

NERC Petition

28. WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2 includes a new 

methodology for calculating minimum contingency reserve, based on the greater of the 

most severe single contingency or the sum of three percent of load plus three percent of 

net generation. The new methodology is different from the methodology in WECC 

regional Reliability Standard BAL-STD-002-0, which is based on the greater of the most 

severe single contingency or the sum of five percent of load responsibility served by 

hydro generation and seven percent of the load responsibility served by thermal 

generation.

29. WECC provides “two years’ worth of additional data showing the amount of 

contingency reserves that would be calculated for each Balancing Authority and Reserve 

Sharing Group under the proposed methodology.”31 WECC states that “during the 

two-year period of 2010-2012, the average increase/decrease in Contingency Reserve 

required under the existing methodology juxtaposed to the proposed methodology was an 

average decrease of 137 MW across the Western Interconnection” and that a 137 MW 

decrease represents “.000932 of WECC’s peak load and .001934 of WECC’s minimum 

load” within that two-year period.32 WECC concludes that “implementation of the 

 31 Petition at 13.

32 Id.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 17 -

proposed methodology will, on average, reduce the amount of Contingency Reserve held 

within the Interconnection; however, the average change is so small in comparison to the 

load served within the Interconnection that it should have no adverse impact on 

reliability.”33

NOPR

30. In the NOPR, the Commission proposed to approve the new methodology and to 

direct NERC to submit an informational filing following implementation of the regional 

Reliability Standard that addresses the adequacy of contingency reserve levels in the 

Western Interconnection.

31. The NOPR stated that, while the data submitted by NERC shows an average

decrease of 137 MW, the data also shows that the largest single decrease in contingency 

reserve equaled 826 MW during the two-year study period when comparing the current 

and proposed methodologies.

34 The NOPR observed that, at the time of the 826 MW 

decrease (i.e., 9/15/10 at 14:00), the contingency reserve value using the current 

methodology for calculating minimum contingency reserve was 8259 MW versus

7434 MW using the new methodology. The NOPR stated that the 826 MW decrease 

represented a 10 percent decrease in contingency reserve at that time interval.

35 The 

 33 Id. at 16.

34 Petition, Exhibit G (data point at date/time interval 9/15/10 at 14:00).

35 Petition at 16. 
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 18 -

NOPR noted that the data also show a widening gap over time (e.g., a difference of 

114 MW at the beginning date but 192 MW at the end date).

36 

32. The NOPR proposed to direct NERC to submit an informational filing to the 

Commission assessing contingency reserve levels in the Western Interconnection after

the first two years of implementation of the regional Reliability Standard. In the 

information filing, NERC, in consultation with WECC, would provide an assessment of 

minimum contingency reserve levels in the Western Interconnection following 

implementation of the new methodology. The NOPR stated that the informational filing 

should assess whether the new methodology for calculating minimum contingency 

reserve levels has had an adverse impact on reliability in the Western Interconnection and

should include the data that NERC and WECC use to assess the sufficiency of the 

minimum contingency reserve levels under the new methodology. The NOPR stated that 

such data could include, but need not be limited to an increase or decrease in the

“Average Percent Non-Recovery Disturbance Control Standards (DCS) Events,” 37

an 

increase or decrease in the average Contingency Reserve Restoration Period, an increase 

 36 The 114 MW and 192 MW values are calculated by plotting a trend line on the 

contingency reserve data submitted by WECC using the existing methodology and 

plotting a trend line on the contingency reserve data submitted by WECC using the 

proposed methodology. The initial difference between the two trend lines is 114 MW 

while the difference at the end of the trend lines is 192 MW.

37 See NERC, Metric AL2-4 (Average Percent Non-Recovery of Disturbance 

Control Standard (DCS) Events), available at http://www.nerc.com/pa/RAPA/ri/

Pages/DCSEvents.aspx.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 19 -

or decrease in the number of events larger than the minimum contingency reserve levels, 

and any other information that NERC or WECC deem relevant. The NOPR proposed to 

direct NERC to submit the informational filing to the Commission 90 days after the end 

of the two-year period following implementation. The NOPR stated that NERC may 

choose to submit the informational filing sooner if NERC identifies issues with 

contingency reserve levels in the Western Interconnection that may require immediate 

action, and that the Commission would review the informational filing to determine 

whether any action is necessary. 

Comments

33. NERC and WECC support the NOPR proposal. NERC commits to submit an 

informational filing that assesses whether the methodology for calculating minimum 

contingency reserve levels has had an adverse impact on reliability in the Western 

Interconnection. NERC states that the informational filing will include the data used to 

make the assessment and will clarify the effect of WECC regional Reliability Standard 

BAL-002-WECC-2 on reliability in the Western Interconnection.

34. Tacoma and Portland maintain that the new methodology for calculating 

contingency reserve is ambiguous because the methodology uses values based on hourly 

integrated load and hourly integrated generation (i.e., averages over the course of a given 

hour). Tacoma and Portland assert that this is a change over the use of instantaneous 

megawatt values under WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-STD-002-0. Tacoma 

and Portland state that it is unclear how the new methodology should be applied because 

it is unclear whether the hour referred to is the previous hour, a forecast for the next hour, 
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 20 -

or a value for the hour determined after-the-fact. Tacoma states that if the hour referred 

to is the previous hour, the value will no longer be pertinent to real-time operational data 

and real-time application. 

35. Portland states that the new methodology could result in significant reductions in 

contingency reserve at specific times, which could have an impact on frequency response 

capabilities. Portland also questions the data WECC submitted to support the new 

methodology. Portland states that three of the six entities surveyed by WECC did not use 

the previous methodology (i.e., the sum of five percent of load responsibility served by 

hydro generation and seven percent of the load responsibility served by thermal 

generation) and instead based contingency reserve values on the most severe single 

contingency. In addition, Portland states that “two years of data is not enough to show 

the variability in water years for a region structured around hydropower.”

38 Portland 

recommends requiring 10 years’ worth of data. Portland also states that the new 

methodology unfairly shifts the burden on providing reserves to the sink balancing 

authorities and load-serving entities, which may not be able to acquire the reserves. 

Portland further states that, if the Commission approves the regional Reliability Standard, 

NERC should be required to file annual reports for five years instead of a single report 

after two years. Portland maintains that balancing authorities may be conservative and 

carry additional reserves in the first year and less so in later years, and thus requiring 

 38 Portland Comments at 4.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 21 -

reporting for five years will provide a more accurate picture of the regional Reliability 

Standard’s impact. Portland also states that NERC should provide a comparative analysis 

of the new methodology and the old methodology.

Commission Determination

36. The Commission adopts the NOPR proposal directing NERC, in consultation with 

WECC, to submit an informational filing two years after implementation of WECC 

regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2 that assesses whether the new 

methodology for calculating minimum contingency reserve levels has had an adverse 

impact on reliability in the Western Interconnection. Consistent with NERC’s comments, 

the informational filing should include the data that NERC and WECC use to assess the 

sufficiency of the minimum contingency reserve levels under the new methodology. 

NERC is directed to submit the informational filing 90 days after the end of the two-year 

period following implementation. The Commission will review the informational filing 

to determine whether any action is warranted. NERC may submit the informational filing 

sooner if NERC or WECC identifies issues with contingency reserve levels in the 

Western Interconnection that require more immediate action.

37. We reject the comments submitted by Tacoma and Portland concerning the new 

methodology and informational filing. We determine that the use of “hourly integrated 

Load” and “hourly integrated generation” is not ambiguous or substantively different 

from the current practice of calculating contingency reserve. Regional Reliability 

Standard BAL-002-WECC-2, Requirement R1.3, explains that these terms are based on 

“real-time hourly load and generating energy values averaged over each Clock Hour.” 
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 22 -

Moreover, the term “Clock Hour” is defined in the NERC Glossary and refers to the 

current hour.39 In addition, using average values over the course of an hour is not 

different from what is required by regional Reliability Standard BAL-STD-002-0, which 

states in the Measures section that “a Responsible Entity identified in Section A.4 must 

maintain 100% of required Operating Reserve levels based upon data averaged over 

each clock hour.” Ultimately, regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2, 

Requirement R1, now requires minimum contingency reserve to be calculated from load 

and generation amounts, but it does not change the time frame for calculating minimum 

contingency reserve.

38. We also reject Portland’s comment that the new methodology shifts the burden of 

providing reserves to sink balancing authorities and load serving entities, which may be 

unable to acquire the necessary reserves. As we stated in Order No. 740, we agree with 

NERC and WECC that the “equal split between load and generation [in the new 

methodology] represents a reasonable balance to moderate shifts in Contingency Reserve 

responsibility and costs among the applicable entities.”40 Moreover, Portland does not 

 39 “Clock Hour : The 60-minute period ending at :00. All surveys, measurements, 

and reports are based on Clock Hour periods unless specifically noted.” NERC Glossary 

at 19.

40 Petition at 16; see also Order No. 740, 133 FERC ¶ 61,063 at P 41.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 23 -

provide any evidence that sink balancing authorities or load-serving entities will be 

unable to acquire the necessary reserves.41

39. With respect to Portland’s concerns regarding WECC’s data and the informational 

filing, the informational filing is intended to identify any issues regarding the adequacy of 

contingency reserve levels in the Western Interconnection and the impact on other 

reliability areas such as frequency response. We are satisfied that WECC provided

enough representative data to conclude that the new methodology will likely not result in 

significantly less average contingency reserve in the Western Interconnection. However, 

for the reasons discussed above, the Commission believes that it is necessary to monitor 

and assess contingency reserve levels in the Western Interconnection following 

implementation of the regional Reliability Standard. We are not inclined at this time to 

require more than two years of data as Portland suggests. The Commission intends to 

analyze the two-year informational filing and determine whether it adequately addresses

the sufficiency of the proposed required reserve levels in the Western Interconnection. 

Portland or other entities may also examine the filing and, if there is sufficient technical 

analysis that suggests contingency reserve levels may be inadequate, the Commission 

may direct NERC and/or WECC to submit additional informational filings in the future. 

 41 In developing the implementation plan, NERC recognized that the new 

methodology would require responsible entities to enter into contractual agreements and 

negotiations and allowed sufficient time for responsible entities to enter into such 

arrangements. Petition, Exhibit A at 5.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 24 -

The Commission adopts the NOPR proposal to direct NERC to file an informational 

filing two years after implementation of the regional Reliability Standard. 

B. Removal of Interruptible Imports Requirement

NERC Petition

40. Regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2, Requirement R3, states that:

Each Sink Balancing Authority and each sink Reserve Sharing 

Group shall maintain an amount of Operating Reserve, in addition to 

the minimum Contingency Reserve in Requirement R1, equal to the 

amount of Operating Reserve–Supplemental for any Interchange 

Transaction designated as part of the Source Balancing Authority’s 

Operating Reserve–Supplemental or source Reserve Sharing 

Group’s Operating Reserve–Supplemental, except within the first 

sixty minutes following an event requiring the activation of 

Contingency Reserve. 

41. NERC maintains that Requirement R3 is a clarification of an existing requirement 

in WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-STD-002-0, which requires additional 

reserves for interruptible imports. NERC explains that the standard drafting team 

removed the term “interruptible imports” because it is not a defined term in the NERC 

Glossary and is subject to misinterpretation. NERC states that the standard drafting team 

replaced the term with clarifying language describing which types of transactions must be 

covered by additional reserves. NERC observes that the continent-wide Reliability 

Standard BAL-002-1 does not require reserves for Interchange Transactions designated 

as part of the source balancing authority or source reserve sharing group Operating 

Reserve-Supplemental and thus the requirement in the regional Reliability Standard is 

more stringent than the continent-wide Reliability Standard.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 25 -

Comments

42. Powerex maintains that, while the term “interruptible imports” has not been 

clearly defined by WECC or NERC, the solution is not to remove the term from the 

regional Reliability Standard. Powerex states that removal of interruptible imports results 

in an inferior regional Reliability Standard because it effectively eliminates any 

Reliability Standard specifying a reserve requirement for interruptible imports. Powerex 

maintains that balancing authorities will no longer be required to set aside any capacity to 

cover interruptible imports into their balancing authority areas. Powerex states that the 

interruptible imports requirement has served to “differentiate an import of interruptible 

energy—a product that may be curtailed for ANY reason ... from a ‘firm’ energy import 

that is supported by sufficient generating resources within the source [balancing 

authority] to assure the energy will not be curtailed during the delivery period.”

42

Commission Determination

43. The Commission rejects Powerex’s comments concerning removal of the term 

“interruptible imports.” The Commission agrees with NERC and WECC that 

Requirement R3 identifies the types of transactions, including Interchange Transactions, 

that must be covered by additional reserves. Accordingly, we disagree with Powerex that 

the concept of interruptible imports has been removed from the regional Reliability 

Standard. Replacing the term “interruptible imports” with the NERC-defined term 

 42 Powerex Comments at 8.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 26 -

“Interchange Transaction” eliminates ambiguity from the regional Reliability Standard by 

including all types of Interchange Transactions (e.g., firm or interruptible) as it pertains to 

calculating Operating Reserve. Moreover, in response to comments during the standards 

development process, the standard drafting team reinforced this view in stating that 

“[Requirement] R3 of the proposed standard directly addresses the concept of 

interruptible schedules and [Requirement] R4 addresses the concept of on-demand 

energy.”

43 

44. Powerex states that “in WECC there exists an unacceptable lack of clarity with 

respect to reserve requirements associated with energy interchange scheduling.” 

Powerex also “acknowledges that the proposed BAL-002-WECC-2 standard alone cannot 

address all of these concerns, but believes it is premature, unwarranted, and problematic 

to eliminate the requirement that interruptible imports carry 100% reserves until these 

broader concerns are addressed by some other regulatory requirement.” We disagree 

with Powerex that it is appropriate to condition approval of regional Reliability Standard 

BAL-002-WECC-2, and the removal of the term “interruptible imports,” on first 

addressing existing problems concerning reserve requirements associated with energy 

interchange scheduling. Instead, we agree with NERC and WECC that the regional 

Reliability Standard, in requiring additional reserves for Interchange Transactions, is 

 43 Petition, Exhibit C at 11.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 27 -

more stringent than the continent-wide Reliability Standard BAL-002, and we approve 

the requirement on that basis. 

C. Qualifying Resources for Contingency Reserve

NERC Petition

45. WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2, Requirement R.1.1.2 

states that contingency reserve may be comprised of any combination of the reserve types

specified below:

 Operating Reserve – Spinning

 Operating Reserve – Supplemental 

 Interchange Transactions designated by the Source Balancing.

 Authority as Operating Reserve – Supplemental 

 Reserve held by other entities by agreement that is deliverable on 

Firm Transmission Service.

 A resource, other than generation or load, that can provide energy or 

reduce energy consumption.

 Load, including demand response resources, Demand-Side 

Management resources, Direct Control Load Management, 

Interruptible Load or Interruptible Demand, or any other Load made 

available for curtailment by the Balancing Authority or the Reserve 

Sharing Group via contract or agreement. 

 All other load, not identified above, once the Reliability Coordinator 

has declared an energy emergency alert signifying that firm load 

interruption is imminent or in progress.

46. “Operating Reserve – Spinning” is defined in the NERC Glossary to mean 

“generation (synchronized or capable of being synchronized to the system) that is fully 

available to serve load within the Disturbance Recovery Period following the 

contingency event; or load fully removable from the system within the Disturbance 

Recovery Period following the contingency event.”
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 28 -

Comments

47. CAISO seeks clarification that non-traditional resources, including electric storage 

facilities, may qualify as “Operating Reserve – Spinning” so long as they meet the 

technical and performance requirements in Requirement R2 (i.e., that the resources must 

be immediately and automatically responsive to frequency deviations through the action 

of a control system and capable of fully responding within ten minutes).

Commission Determination

48. The Commission determines that non-traditional resources, including electric 

storage facilities, may qualify as “Operating Reserve – Spinning” provided those 

resources satisfy the technical and performance requirements in Requirement R2. Our 

determination is supported by the standard drafting team’s response to a comment during 

the standard drafting process where the standard drafting team stated that “technologies, 

such as batteries, both contemplated and not yet contemplated are included in the 

standard as potential resources – so long as the undefined resource can meet the response 

characteristics described in the standard ...The language does not preclude any specific 

technology; rather, the language delineates how that technology must [] respond.”44 We 

also note that non-traditional resources could contribute to contingency reserve under the 

regional Reliability Standard if they are resources, “other than generation or load, that 

can provide energy or reduce energy consumption.”

 44 Petition, Exhibit C at 20.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 29 -

D. Use of the Term Load in Requirement R.1.1

NERC Petition

49. WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2, Requirement R.1.1, 

states that minimum contingency reserve must equal the “amount of Contingency 

Reserve equal to the loss of the most severe single contingency” or the “amount of 

Contingency Reserve equal to the sum of three percent of hourly integrated Load plus 

three percent of hourly integrated generation.”

Comments

50. Tacoma states that the term “Load” is defined in the NERC Glossary as “[a]n enduse device or customer that receives power from the electric system.” Tacoma maintains

that the term “Load” in Requirement R.1.1 cannot be interpreted to be a device or 

customer that receives power from the electric system because “the requirement directs 

the taking of a percentage of the ‘Load’ and treating it as a measurement of power, like 

megawatts.” Tacoma recommends that the defined term “Load” should be replaced with 

the undefined term “load.”

Commission Determination

51. Based on the context of Requirement R.1.1, the Commission understands that the 

use of the term “Load” does not refer to an end-use device or customer. Instead, it refers 

to the power consumption associated with the end-use device or customer (i.e., Load), 

which is then applied in calculating minimum contingency reserve levels. With that 

understanding, the Commission will not direct NERC to change “Load” to “load” in 
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 30 -

Requirement R.1.1 as requested by Tacoma. NERC and WECC may modify this 

language in the next version of the regional Reliability Standard.

E. Use of Net Generation Data to Calculate Contingency Reserve

NERC Petition

52. NERC states that the “calculation of minimum Contingency Reserves is based on 

three percent of net generation and three percent of net load and this fairly balances the 

responsibilities of Contingency Reserve providers with the financial obligations of those 

who would benefit most from those services.”45 Requirement R1.1.3 states that the 

minimum contingency reserve calculation should be based on “real-time hourly load 

and generating energy values averaged over each Clock Hour (excluding Qualifying 

Facilities covered in 18 C.F.R. § 292.101, as addressed in FERC Opinion 464).” In 

Requirement R1.1.3, NERC states that the standard drafting team replaced the term “net 

generation” with “generating energy values averaged over each Clock Hour.” NERC 

maintains that the substitution was in response to comments in the Order No. 740 

rulemaking regarding the definition of the term “net generation.”

Comments

53. Tacoma states that changing metered data to net generation for real-time 

operations would result in undue burden and cause a delay in implementation because 

many balancing authorities do not use net generation in their minimum contingency 

 45 Petition at 16.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 31 -

reserve calculation. Tacoma states that it uses gross generation for real-time operations 

and includes station service within its entity load. Tacoma explains that it prepares

annual reports that include net generation, but Tacoma asserts that using net generation in 

real-time operations will require “significant changes in the data and telemetry that must 

be available in real-time operations.”46

Commission Determination

54. The Commission notes that NERC’s petition states that the “calculation of 

minimum Contingency Reserves is based on three percent of net generation.”47 Based on 

NERC’s description, the NOPR also used the term “net generation” at various points. 

However, Requirement R1 of WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2, 

by design, does not use the term “net generation.” Instead, Requirement R1.1.3 states 

that the minimum contingency reserve calculation should be based on “real-time hourly 

load and generating energy values averaged over each Clock Hour (excluding Qualifying 

Facilities covered in 18 C.F.R. § 292.101, as addressed in FERC Opinion 464).” 

Accordingly, Tacoma’s concern about the use of “net generation” to calculate minimum 

contingency reserve is moot. 

 46 Tacoma Comments at 3.

47 Petition at 16.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 32 -

F. Violation Risk Factors and Violation Severity Levels

55. The petition states that each Requirement of the proposed WECC regional 

Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2 includes one violation risk factor and one 

violation severity level and that the ranges of penalties for violations will be based on the 

sanctions table and supporting penalty determination process described in the 

Commission-approved NERC Sanctions Guideline. The NOPR proposed to approve the 

violation risk factors and violation severity levels for the Requirements of WECC 

regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2 as consistent with the Commission’s 

established guidelines.48 The Commission did not receive comments regarding the 

proposed violation risk factors and violation severity levels. Accordingly, the 

Commission approves the violation risk factors and violation severity levels for the 

requirements of WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2.

G. Removal of Terms from NERC Glossary

56. The petition states that proposed WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-

WECC-2 replaces the terms “Spinning Reserve” with “Operating Reserve-Spinning” and 

“Non-Spinning Reserve” with “Operating Reserve-Supplemental” to ensure comparable 

treatment of demand-side management with conventional generation, or any other 

technology, and to allow demand-side management to be considered as a resource for 

contingency reserve. The petition states that Operating Reserve-Spinning and Operating 

 48 See North American Electric Reliability Corp., 135 FERC ¶ 61,166 (2011).
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 33 -

Reserve-Supplemental have glossary definitions that are inclusive of demand-side 

management, including controllable load. Accordingly, the petition seeks revision of the 

NERC Glossary to remove the two WECC Regional Definitions, Non-Spinning Reserve 

and Spinning Reserve. With the removal of Non-Spinning Reserve and Spinning 

Reserve from the proposed WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2, the 

NOPR proposed to approve removal of those WECC Regional Definitions from the 

NERC Glossary. The Commission did not receive comments regarding the proposed 

revisions to the NERC Glossary. Accordingly, the Commission approves the proposed 

revisions to the NERC Glossary.

H. Implementation Plan and Effective Date

57. The petition proposes that WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-

WECC-2 become effective on the first day of the third quarter following applicable 

regulatory approval. The petition states that the proposed WECC regional Reliability 

Standard may require execution of contracts by some applicable entities before 

implementation can occur, and the proposed effective date allows time for applicable 

entities to finalize needed contracts. The petition also proposes to retire the currentlyeffective WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-STD-002-0 on the proposed effective 

date. 

58. The NOPR proposed to approve the petition’s implementation plan and effective 

date for the WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2. The Commission 

did not receive comments regarding the proposed implementation plan and effective date. 
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 34 -

Accordingly, the Commission approves the implementation plan and effective date for 

WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2. 

III. Information Collection Statement

59. The following collection of information contained in this Final Rule is subject to 

review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under section 3507(d) of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

49 OMB’s regulations require approval of 

certain information collection requirements imposed by agency rules.50 Upon approval 

of a collection(s) of information, OMB will assign an OMB control number and an 

expiration date. Respondents subject to the filing requirements of a rule will not be 

penalized for failing to respond to these collections of information unless the collections 

of information display a valid OMB control number. The Commission solicited 

comments on the need for and the purpose of the information contained in regional 

Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2 and the corresponding burden to implement the

regional Reliability Standard. The Commission received comments on specific 

requirements in the regional Reliability Standard, which we address in this Final Rule. 

However, the Commission did not receive any comments on our reporting burden 

estimates.

60. Public Reporting Burden: The burden and cost estimates below are based on the 

need for applicable entities to revise documentation, already required by the current

 49 44 U.S.C. 3507(d).

50 5 CFR 1320.11.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 35 -

WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-STD-002-0, to reflect certain changes made in 

WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2. Our estimates are based on the 

NERC Compliance Registry as of May 30, 2013, which indicates that 36 balancing 

authorities and reserve sharing groups are registered within WECC. 

Improved 

Requirement Year

Number of 

Respondents 51

(1)

Number of 

Annual 

Responses 

Per 

Respondent

(2)

Average

Burden

Hours per 

Response

(3)

Estimated 

Total

Annual

Burden 

Hours

(1)*(2)*(3)

Update Existing 

Documentation 

to Conform with 

Proposed 

Regional 

Reliability 

Standard

1 36 1 response 152 36 hours 

Total 36 hours

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours for Collection: (Compliance/Documentation) = 

36 hours

Costs to Comply with PRA:

• Year 1: $2,160.

• Year 2 and ongoing: $0. 

 51 NERC balancing authorities and reserve sharing groups are responsible for the 

improved requirement. Further, if a single entity is registered as both a balancing 

authority and reserve sharing group, that entity is counted as one unique entity.

52 The Commission bases the hourly reporting burden on the time for an engineer

to implement the requirements of the final rule.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 36 -

61. Year 1 costs include updating existing documentation, already required by the 

current WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-STD-002-0, to reflect changes in

WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2. For the burden category

above, the cost is $60/hour (salary plus benefits) for an engineer.53 The estimated 

breakdown of annual cost is as follows:

• Year 1

o Update Existing Documentation to Conform with Proposed 

Regional Reliability Standard: 36 entities * (1 hours/response * 

$60/hour) = $2,160.

Title: FERC-725E, Mandatory Reliability Standards-WECC (Western Electric 

Coordinating Council)

Action: Proposed Collection of Information

OMB Control No: 1902-0246

Respondents: Business or other for-profit, and not-for-profit institutions.

Frequency of Responses: One-time. 

Necessity of the Information: Regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2 

implements the Congressional mandate of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to develop 

mandatory and enforceable Reliability Standards to better ensure the reliability of the 

nation’s Bulk-Power System. Specifically, the regional Reliability Standard ensures that 

 53 Labor rates from Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) (http://bls.gov/oes/current/

naics2_22.htm). Loaded costs are BLS rates divided by 0.703 and rounded to the nearest 

dollar (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm).
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 37 -

balancing authorities and reserve sharing groups in the WECC Region have the quantity 

and types of contingency reserve required to ensure reliability under normal and 

abnormal conditions. 

Internal review: The Commission has reviewed regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-

WECC-2 and made a determination that its action is necessary to implement section 215 

of the FPA. The Commission has assured itself, by means of its internal review, that 

there is specific, objective support for the burden estimates associated with the 

information requirements.

62. Interested persons may obtain information on the reporting requirements by 

contacting the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Office of the Executive Director, 

888 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20426 [Attention: Ellen Brown, e-mail: 

DataClearance@ferc.gov, phone: (202) 502-8663, fax: (202) 273-0873]. 

IV. Environmental Analysis

63. The Commission is required to prepare an Environmental Assessment or an 

Environmental Impact Statement for any action that may have a significant adverse effect 

on the human environment.54 The Commission has categorically excluded certain actions 

from this requirement as not having a significant effect on the human environment. 

 54 Regulations Implementing the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 

Order No. 486, 52 FR 47897 (Dec. 17, 1987), FERC Stats. & Regs., Regulations

Preambles 1986-1990 ¶ 30,783 (1987).
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 38 -

Included in the exclusion are rules that are clarifying, corrective, or procedural or that do 

not substantially change the effect of the regulations being amended.

55 The actions 

directed herein fall within this categorical exclusion in the Commission’s regulations.

V. Regulatory Flexibility Act

64. The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA)56 generally requires a description 

and analysis of proposed rules that will have significant economic impact on a substantial 

number of small entities. As discussed above, regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-

WECC-2 applies to 36 registered balancing authorities and reserve sharing groups in the 

NERC Compliance Registry. Comparison of the NERC Compliance Registry with data 

submitted to the Energy Information Administration on Form EIA-861 indicates that, of 

the 36 registered balancing authorities and reserve sharing groups, two may qualify as 

small entities.

57

65. The Commission estimates that, on average, each of the two affected small entities 

will have an estimated cost of $60 in Year 1 and no further ongoing costs. These figures 

 55 18 CFR 380.4(a)(2)(ii).

56 5 U.S.C. 601-612.

57 The RFA definition of “small entity” refers to the definition provided in the 

Small Business Act (SBA), which defines a “small business concern” as a business that is 

independently owned and operated and that is not dominant in its field of operation. See

15 U.S.C. 632. According to the Small Business Administration, an electric utility is 

defined as “small” if, including its affiliates, it is primarily engaged in the generation, 

transmission, and/or distribution of electric energy for sale and its total electric output for 

the preceding fiscal year did not exceed 4 million megawatt hours.
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 39 -

are based on information collection costs plus additional costs for compliance. The 

Commission does not consider this to be a significant economic impact for small entities 

because it should not represent a significant percentage of the small entities’ operating 

budgets. The Commission solicited comments concerning is proposed Regulatory 

Flexibility Act certification and did not receive any comments. Accordingly, the 

Commission certifies that this Final Rule will not have a significant economic impact on 

a substantial number of small entities. 

VI. Document Availability

66. In addition to publishing the full text of this document in the Federal Register, the 

Commission provides all interested persons an opportunity to view and/or print the 

contents of this document via the Internet through the Commission's Home Page 

(http://www.ferc.gov) and in the Commission's Public Reference Room during normal 

business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time) at 888 First Street, NE, Room 2A, 

Washington, DC 20426.

67. From the Commission's Home Page on the Internet, this information is available 

on eLibrary. The full text of this document is available on eLibrary in PDF and 

Microsoft Word format for viewing, printing, and/or downloading. To access this 

document in eLibrary, type the docket number excluding the last three digits of this 

document in the docket number field.

68. User assistance is available for eLibrary and the Commission’s website during

normal business hours from the Commission’s Online Support at (202) 502-6652 (toll 

free at 1-866-208-3676) or email at ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, or the Public Reference 
Docket No. RM13-13-000 - 40 -

Room at (202) 502-8371, TTY (202) 502-8659. E-mail the Public Reference Room 

at public.referenceroom@ferc.gov.

VII. Effective Date and Congressional Notification

69. These regulations are effective [60 days after publication in the FEDERAL 

REGISTER]. The Commission has determined, with the concurrence of the 

Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB, that this rule 

is not a “major rule” as defined in section 351 of the Small Business Regulatory 

Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.

By the Commission.

( S E A L )

Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,

Deputy Secretary.