New regulatory battery maintenance requirements as mandated by NERC PRC-005-2/3

The major grid failure of August 2003 led Congress to pass the Electric Modernization Act of 2005. This act established the Federal Electric Reliability Commission (FERC) to impose regulatory standards on all functional entities that are a part of the Bulk Power System (BPS), sometimes referred to as the Bulk Electric System (BES). PRC-005-2/3 now requires all utilities to follow minimum maintenance requirements for batteries within a prescribed time interval for all equipment connected to the BPS/BES. This paper addresses the specific requirements that every electric utility/functional entity that ties into the BPS/BES must follow with an explanation of the difference between reliability as defined within the NERC glossary vs. the IEEE Stationary Battery Committee Standards and Guidelines.