Related Files
Status
Nomination period for Project 2021-03 CIP-002
Transmission Owner Control Centers standard drafting team members concluded at 8 p.m. Eastern, Tuesday, April 27, 2021.
Background
On May 14, 2020, the NERC Board of Trustees (Board) adopted proposed Reliability Standard CIP-002-6. The proposed standard revised Criterion 2.12 to categorize certain Transmission Owner Control Centers (TOCCs) performing Transmission Operator functions as medium impact based on an aggregate weighted value of their Bulk Electric System (BES) Transmission Lines. The Project 2016-02 SAR was accepted by the Standards Committee on July 20, 2016, which includes the scope for addressing the TOCC obligations.
On June 12, 2020, NERC staff filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) a petition for approval of proposed CIP-002-6. On June 23, 2020, the proposed standard was filed with the applicable regulatory authorities in Canada.
At its February 4, 2021 meeting, the Board withdrew proposed Reliability Standard CIP-002-6. In addition, the Board issued a resolution stating “that NERC Staff, working with stakeholders, is directed to promptly conduct further study of the need to readdress the applicability of the CIP Reliability Standards to such Control Centers[1] to safeguard reliability, for the purpose of recommending further action to the Board." On February 5, 2021, NERC filed a notice of withdrawal for CIP-002-6 with FERC.
Standard(s) Affected – CIP-002 – Cyber Security – BES Cyber System Categorization
Purpose/Industry Need
The purpose of this project is to review CIP-002 and evaluate the categorization of Transmission Owner (TO) Control Centers performing the functional obligations of a Transmission Operator (TOP), specifically those that meet medium impact criteria. This standard drafting team is tasked with assisting NERC staff in meeting the directive from the NERC Board to conduct further study of the need to readdress the applicability of the CIP Reliability Standards to these Control Centers to support reliability. As such, data will be evaluated to determine the appropriateness of a bright line or to recommend further action.
[1] In this context, Control Centers refers to those owned by Transmission Owners performing the functional obligations of a Transmission Operator.
