Dive Brief:

• The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Friday directed the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) to develop reliability standards requiring bulk-power system owners and operators to address risks due to physical security threats and vulnerabilities.
• The new standards will target specific facilities that if damaged could lead to blackouts or other major problems.
• The planned standards follow the still unsolved rifle attack on a Pacific Gas & Electric substation last year.

Dive Insight:

The planned standards aim to beef up protection for vital grid infrastructure.

“Today's order enhances the grid’s resilience by requiring physical security for the facilities most critical to the reliable operation of the bulk-power system,” FERC Acting Chairman Cheryl LaFleur said. “It will complement the ongoing efforts of FERC and facility owners and operators to ensure the physical security of the grid.”