Forwarding Notice Forwarded

On June 30, 2025, the AESO filed a Forwarding Notice with the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) recommending the adoption of the proposed new Alberta reliability standards and retirement of existing Alberta reliability standards pursuant to Section 19 of the Transmission Regulation.

The forwarding notice and all associated appendices can be viewed under Proceeding 30139 on the eFiling section of the AUC website.

Purpose

The AESO is embarking on a pivotal initiative to adopt the latest TPL and SOL Standards, as part of its ongoing commitment to enhance the reliability of the transmission system in Alberta. These standards introduce critical requirements that will govern transmission planning assessments in Alberta.

Background

The facilities design, connections, and maintenance standards play a crucial role in ensuring the reliable planning and operation of the bulk electric system by establishing and communicating system operating limits. This initiative aims to enhance these standards by refining the process for determining and communicating system operating limits. The proposed revisions to standards and definitions will streamline requirements, ensuring they align seamlessly with transmission planning standards, while maintaining consistency with transmission operations and interconnection reliability operations standards. The updates will also address challenges in accurately determining and communicating system operating limits and interconnection reliability operating limits.

In particular, the proposed new PRC-026-AB-2 will create a standard for relay performance during stable power swings that provides criteria for inclusion and evaluation of system elements. Proposed changes to the TPL standards will update the contingencies used in transmission planning and provide steady state and stability performance requirements for events planning and extreme events. Proposed changes in the updated IRO-008-AB-3 standard include the introduction of notification requirements for impacted operators, where real-time assessment indicates that the system operating limits are exceeded. The FAC-003, FAC-011, and FAC-014 standards are also being revised to update their applicability, better align with NERC, and clarify and simplify the requirements.