Find, Fix and Track Entity, Docket No. RC11-6 (September 30, 2011)
Reliability Standard: FAC-003-1
Requirement: R1.3/1.5
Region: MRO
Issue: During a compliance audit, MRO found that FFT Entity and one of its members had not properly documented the qualifications and training needed to implement the transmission vegetation management program (TVMP) or the procedures for immediately communicating vegetation conditions which pose an imminent threat of a transmission line outage.
Finding: MRO found that this issue constituted only a minimal risk to BPS reliability since the relevant transmission lines are in an area of the country that has long growing times for vegetation. In addition, FFT Entity’s member has a TVMP that requires periodic ground inspections at least every two years.
Great River Energy (GRE), Docket No. RC13-8, April 30, 2013
Reliability Standard: FAC-003-1
Requirement: 2
Region: MRO
Issue: GRE, a TO, submitted a self-report in August 2011 explaining that it had found a period of non-compliance with the Reliability Standard during 2007 and 2008 when it realized it had only monitored certain transmission lines by air and not by ground as required by its Transmission Vegetation Management Program.
Finding: The violation was deemed to pose minimal risk to BPS reliability but not serious or substantial risk which was mitigated because the violation occurred shortly after the Reliability Standards became enforceable, and, during the time period, GRE had been visually monitoring its lines by air, just not by ground. A random review of 16 of GRE’s high voltage transmission lines during 2009 and 2011 found no reportable issues.
