Blackout task force calls 

reliability legislation 'essential'

Washington (Platts)--13Aug2004

While actions taken since the Aug 14, 2003, blackout have "significantly"
reduced the risk of future power outages, the need for Congress to enact
legislation that would establish mandatory electric reliability rules "has in
no way diminished," the US-Canada Power System Outage Task Force said in a
report Friday. 

The task force, created last August to examine the causes of the blackout,
said that although progress has been made, "it remains essential to enact the
legislation to establish the jurisidiction of the US Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission for reliability matters over all participants in the US portions of
the North American bulk power systems." 

In addition, the anniversary report said the legislation is critical to
"provide a solid legal foundation for the certification of an electric
reliability organization (ERO) that will develop technically sound reliability
standards, and to make compliance with such standards mandatory and
enforceable under US law."

The report outlined a number of actions taken over the past year to strengthen
the institutional infrastructure for maintaining reliability, as well as other
steps, including clarification of existing standards, the development of new
standards and improved monitoring and ensuring compliance with reliability
standards. 

Among the "major challenges" the report said remain ahead are completion of
the revision of the North American Electric Reliability Council's existing
standards, certification of the ERO by government agencies and approval of its
standards, independent funding for NERC or the ERO and the regional
reliability councils, reform of the roles, responsibilities and boundaries of
the regional councils, and enhancement of the "overall security" of the
electricity sector.

This story was first published in Platts real-time news and market reporting
service Platts Electricity Alert (http://electricityalert.platts.com ).

Copyright © 2004 - Platts

Please visit:  www.platts.com

Their coverage of energy matters is extensive!!.