Reliability News No. 7
Process used by the Reliability Coordinator to file Reliability Standards with the Régie de l’énergie du Québec

Initial filings

On June 2, 2009, the Reliability Coordinator for Québec filed the 95 reliability standards approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) with the Régie de l’énergie (docket R-3699-2009) in their original English versions, accompanied by their French translations, an applicability matrix for the standards and a glossary of terms and acronyms. In its application, it asked the Régie to:

• Adopt the standards for Québec
• Approve the registers of entities and facilities subject to the standards, as well as the Sanction Guide
• Recognize the Glossary of Terms and Acronyms.

These standards are critical for ensuring the reliability of the Bulk Electric System in Québec and, by extension, of interconnected systems.

The Régie’s decisions and the Coordinator’s subsequent proposals related to this initial application helped change the way standards are adopted. For example, the Régie ordered that a public consultation be held before filing an application to adopt a standard. In addition, an applicability matrix and facility registers are no longer required in applications, and the Sanctions Guide is now in force. Consequently, applications only include the standards and the Register of Entities, which now incorporates information on facilities subject to the standard and the Glossary. Each application to adopt a standard must also include a quantitative or qualitative assessment of its relevance to reliability and its impact on applicable entities.