Protection system maintenance program choices - TBM, CBM, and PBM

In 2007, FERC Order 693 launched the development of the new NERC Protection System Maintenance Standard PRC-005-2. The new standard was to replace four legacy standards for maintenance of similar types of protection system components, and to specify maximum maintenance intervals and minimum activities for a time based maintenance (TBM) program. The NERC Standard Drafting Team, however, went beyond what FERC ordered and also included provisions for condition based maintenance (CBM) and performance based maintenance (PBM) programs. The new draft Standard was approved by NERC in 2012. On July 18, 2013, FERC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) in which it proposed to make PRC-005-2 [1] mandatory and enforceable, along with a few new action items requesting feedback of supporting information. In October of 2013, PRC-005-2 became mandatory and enforceable. The standard includes and implementation plan that gives affected utilities many years to gradually develop compliance with the new standard.