NERC has 90 days to submit a filing containing specific proposed modifications to the standards development process. Within 90 days of the Commission’s approval of those proposed rules, NERC must file a document outlining its compliance with the rule requiring transmission and generation owners to determine the ratings of their bulk power system facilities.

FERC Takes Step to Protect Nation’s Bulk Electric Power System
In a move to protect the reliability of the country’s bulk power system, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently unveiled a proposal to standardize the definition of transmission facilities subject to mandatory reliability standards. This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) directs the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) to include all electric transmission facilities of 100kV or more in its definition of what constitutes the “bulk electric system,” subject to mandatory reliability standards under the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

According to the FERC, this proposal generally conforms to the current definition of the bulk electric system recognized by NERC and seven of the eight regional reliability entities around the country. It would eliminate the discretion that regional entities have to define the transmission facilities that comprise their “bulk electric systems,” but allow regional councils to seek NERC and Commission approval if they wish to make variations from the 100kV standard.

Comments on the NOPR are due 45 days after publication in the Federal Register.

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New Products & Services
Lightning protectors
L-com Global Connectivity, North Andover, Mass., recently released three new data line lightning protectors, one of which is the Weatherproof 10/100/1000 Base-T CAT6 Hi-Power Lightning Protector. The AL-CAT6HPW provides lightning and surge protection for indoor 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet networks. According to the company, the unit has low line-to-line and line-to-ground capacitance to minimize distortion of high-speed signals. The shielded RJ45 jacks of this protector are isolated from the safety ground, which minimizes the chance of a ground loop being introduced. The product, which is Cat. 5, Cat. 5E, Cat. 6, and PoE compatible, is GR-1089 Intra-building rated and offers a weatherproof ABS enclosure with gasketed cover. For more information, visit the company’s Web site.



Industrial-grade UPS
Rosemont, Ill.-based SolaHD recently unveiled its S4K2UC Uninterruptible Power System (UPS), designed for applications such as industrial computing, automation systems, robotics, and process controls. Offering models in 120V or 230V configurations from 700VA to 3,000VA of capacity, the new UPSs can be mounted directly into any standard 19-inch rack, occupying only 2U (3.5 in.) of rack space, or floor mounted for standalone use. Matching external battery cabinets in 2U height are also offered to achieve additional backup time. According to the company, the unit’s output power factor of 0.9 is a superior match with switch-mode power supplies, resulting in more efficient use of the product, which will ship in May. For more information, visit the company’s Web site.