FirstEnergy says NERC document proves its point on blackout

Washington (Platts)--23Jan2004

FirstEnergy's standard response for months following the Aug 14 blackout was that the increasing number of bulk power transactions is requiring the transmission grid to accommodate traffic that it was not designed to handle and a draft North American Electric Reliability Council report proves the point, a utility spokeswoman said Friday. NERC last week issued a series of recommendations it and the industry should take to improve reliability, including several specific steps for FirstEnergy and the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator. In addition, the group said ambiguities in NERC's operating rules have allowed control-area operators to adopt "differing interpretations of the functions, responsibilities, authorities and capabilities necessary to operate a reliable power system," NERC acknowledged.

The document, which will be voted on at NERC's board meeting next month, backs up "what we've been saying for a while, that the transmission system is being used in ways that are far different than how it was used five or 10 years ago," with wholesale competition and sales from independent power producers stressing the grid, the utility spokeswoman said. The NERC draft "says changes need to be made to the way the system is operated and understood, and we agree with that," she said. FirstEnergy will comply with NERC's recommendations, she added, pointing out that many of the steps to be taken are "things that need to be done on a region-wide basis and not just by FirstEnergy."