Decision 3442-D01-2015
Alberta Electric System Operator
Application regarding Alberta reliability standards
definitions
September, 15, 2015
Alberta Utilities Commission
Decision 3442-D01-2015
Alberta Electric System Operator
Application regarding Alberta reliability standards definitions
Application 1610883
Proceeding 3442
September 15, 2015
Published by the:
Alberta Utilities Commission
Fifth Avenue Place, Fourth Floor, 425 First Street S.W.
Calgary, Alberta
T2P 3L8
Telephone: 403-592-8845
Fax: 403-592-4406
Website: www.auc.ab.ca
Contents
1
0BINTRODUCTION................................................................................................................. 1
2
BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................... 2
3
2BCOMMISSION FINDINGS AND DECISION .................................................................. 3
List of Tables
Table 1.
3BReliability standard definitions filed September 29, 2014 .................................................... 1
Table 2.
Effective date ............................................................................................................................ 3
Decision 3442-D01-2015 (September 15, 2015) • i
Alberta Utilities Commission
Calgary, Alberta
Alberta Electric System Operator
Application regarding Alberta reliability standards definitions
1
Decision 20542-D01-2015
Application 1610883
Proceeding 3442
Introduction
0B
1.
On September 29, 2014, the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC or the Commission)
received an application from the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO)1 for Commission
review and approval of 22 recommended new reliability standard definitions to be added to the
ISO Consolidated Authoritative Document Glossary as follows below. The application was
assigned proceeding number 3442 in the Commission’s electronic filing system.
Table 1.
3BReliability standard definitions filed September 29, 2014
Reliability standard category
Definitions in the AESO
Consolidated Authoritative
Document Glossary
1
Reliability standards definitions
Proposed
Action
New

adverse reliability impact

BES cyber asset

BES cyber system

BES cyber system information

blackstart resource

CIP exceptional circumstance

CIP senior manager

control centre

cranking path

cyber asset

cyber security incident

dial-up connectivity

electronic access control or monitoring systems

electronic access point

electronic security perimeter

external routable connectivity

interactive remote access

intermediate system

physical access control systems
The Independent System Operator (ISO) is established under Section 7(1) of the Electric Utilities Act and operates
under the trade name AESO.
Decision 3442-D01-2015 (September 15, 2015) • 1
Alberta reliability standards definitions
Reliability standard category
Alberta Electric System Operator
Reliability standards definitions

physical security perimeter

protected cyber assets

reportable cyber security incident
Proposed
Action
2.
Proceeding 3442 is related to Proceeding 3441, which pertains to the AESO’s application
for approval of 11 Critical Infrastructure Protection Alberta reliability standards (CIP Standards).
Proceeding 3442 is also connected to Proceeding 3443, which pertains to a consideration of
whether the costs to be incurred by particular generating unit owners to comply with the CIP
Standards are the responsibility of the particular generating unit owners or the responsibility of
the AESO. On November 25, 2014, the Commission determined that it would consider
Proceeding 3443 at a later date. While closely related to proceedings 3441 and 3443, Proceeding
3442 concerns only the approval of the proposed definitions to be added to the ISO Consolidated
Authoritative Document Glossary.
3.
Pursuant to Section 19(4) of the Transmission Regulation, the ISO, before adopting or
making reliability standards, must consult with those market participants that it considers are
likely to be directly affected and must forward the reliability standards to the Commission for
review, along with the ISO’s recommendation that the Commission either approve or reject each
of them.
4.
Pursuant to sections 19(5) and 19(6) of the Transmission Regulation, the Commission
must approve or refuse to approve each reliability standard in accordance with the
recommendation of the ISO, unless an interested person satisfies the Commission that the ISO’s
recommendation is:
(a) technically deficient, or
(b) not in the public interest.
2
Background
5.
On October 7, 2014, the Commission issued a notice of filing and for objection for the
CIP Standards by uploading the notice to the Commission’s eFiling system and posting the
notice on the AUC website.2
6.
On October 21, 2014, the Commission received objections in Proceeding 3442 from
Capital Power Corporation (Capital Power), TransAlta Corporation (TransAlta) and
TransCanada Energy Ltd. (TCE). A Statement of Intent to Participate (SIP) was also received
from EPCOR Distribution & Transmission Inc. indicating an intention to only monitor the
proceeding. Both Capital Power and TransAlta later withdrew their objections on December 17,
2014 and April 2, 2015, respectively. TCE’s objection did not raise any specific concerns with
the proposed reliability standard definitions.
2
Exhibit 0014, AUC Notice of Application 1610883, October 7, 2014.
2 • Decision 3442-D01-2015 (September 15, 2015)
Alberta reliability standards definitions
Alberta Electric System Operator
7.
The evidence filed on the record in Proceeding 3441 was also filed on the record in 3442,
but again did not appear to concern the proposed reliability standard definitions. No specific
submissions were received arguing that these definitions should not be approved.
3
Commission findings and decision
2B
8.
Pursuant to sections 19(5) and 19(6) of the Transmission Regulation, the Commission
must follow the recommendation of the ISO to either approve or reject proposed reliability
standards unless the recommendation is demonstrated to be technically deficient or not in the
public interest:
Reliability Standards
[…]
19(5) Subject to subsection (6), the Commission must approve or refuse to approve the
reliability standards, agreements, criteria or directives, and must inform the ISO of its
decision.
(6) The Commission must follow the recommendation of the ISO that the Commission
approve or reject the proposed reliability standards, agreements, criteria or directives
unless an interested person satisfies the Commission that the ISO’s recommendation is
(a) technically deficient, or
(b) not in the public interest.
9.
The AESO’s application contained its recommendation to approve the reliability standard
definitions in Table 1 above.
10.
The AESO’s application indicates and the Commission finds that the AESO consulted as
required with those market participants that it considers are likely to be affected by the approval
of the reliability standard definitions in Table 1 and thus that the ISO complied with Section
19(4)(a) of the Transmission Regulation.
11.
Accordingly, the Commission finds that no interested party has satisfied the Commission
that the AESO’s recommendation to approve the proposed definitions in Table 1 are technically
deficient or not in the public interest. Pursuant to Section 19(6) of the Transmission Regulation,
the Commission approves the reliability standard definitions contained within Application
1610883 in accordance with the recommendation of the AESO. The Commission advises that the
reliability standard definitions will be effective as follows:
Table 2.
Effective date
Reliability standard
Effective date
New reliability standard definitions in Table 1.
Approved, effective October 1, 2017.
Decision 3442-D01-2015 (September 15, 2015) • 3
Alberta reliability standards definitions
Dated on September 15, 2015.
Alberta Utilities Commission
(original signed by)
Tudor Beattie, QC
Panel Chair
(original signed by)
Bill Lyttle
Commission Member
(original signed by)
Henry van Egteren
Commission Member
4 • Decision 3442-D01-2015 (September 15, 2015)
Alberta Electric System Operator