Task force on 2003 blackout issues final report, dissolves itself

Task force on 2003 blackout issues final report, dissolves itself

Washington (Platts)--3Oct2006

The joint US/Canadian task force that investigated the August 14, 2003,
blackout on Monday released its final report on the recommendations stemming
from the outage, noting that many steps have been taken to improve the
reliability of the bulk power grid.

The report to the US Department of Energy and Natural Resources Canada
said the task force had fulfilled its mission and was being dissolved, with
industry groups and agencies still completing some of the 46 recommendations
outlined in the April 2004 report on the blackout that caused 50 million
people to be without power.

"The Task Force has been an outstanding example of close cooperation
between the governments of Canada and US, and we have established a Bilateral
Electric Reliability Oversight Group for collaboration between authorities in
both countries on issues of common concern," Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural
Resources Canada, said.

His counterpart in the US, Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said the report
"demonstrates that while improvements are being made to enhance grid
reliability, this is no time for anyone to be complacent."

The North America power grid is "a very complex system that is subject to
possible mechanical and human failures. There is no substitute for ongoing
vigilance," he added.

Among the accomplishments in the three years since the blackout, the
report lists mandatory reliability standards being implemented, with Canada's
National Energy Board recognizing the North America Electric Reliability
Council as the Electric Reliability Organization heading that effort.

The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission certified NERC as the ERO on
July 20, and NERC has submitted 118 reliability standards for review and
approval by FERC and authorities in Canada.

Some of the Task Force recommendations required one-time actions, and are
identified as implemented or not fully implemented. Many of the
recommendations, however, require an ongoing commitment not only to maintain
the recommendation, but to review and improve the measures.

"While it is impossible to guarantee that blackouts on the bulk power
system will never recur, the Task Force is confident that the actions
completed to date, the follow-up work identified in this report, and the new
framework for mandatory reliability standards will result in more reliable
electric service for the people of Canada and the US," the leaders of the task
force said in an accompanying letter to Bodman and Lunn.

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