Regional Reliability Standards Development Procedures define the process for development, revision, reaffirmation, and withdrawal of regional reliability standards by a regional entity (ERCOT, FRCC, MRO, NPCC, RFC, SERC, SPP, and WECC).  Regional reliability standards shall provide for as much uniformity as possible with reliability standards across the interconnected bulk power system of the North American continent.  Regional reliability standards, when approved by FERC and applicable authorities in Mexico and Canada shall be made part of the body of NERC reliability standards and shall be enforced upon all applicable bulk power system owners, operators, and users within the applicable area, regardless of membership in the region.

The approval process for a regional reliability standards development procedure requires NERC to publicly notice and request comment on the proposed procedure. Evaluation of the proposed procedure shall identify whether or not a proposed regional reliability standards development procedure meets the criteria listed below. Each regional reliability standards development procedure shall be:

• Open — The regional reliability standards development procedure shall provide that any person or entity who is directly and materially affected by the reliability of the bulk power systems within the regional entity shall be able to participate in the development and approval of reliability standards. There shall be no undue financial barriers to participation. Participation shall not be conditional upon membership in the regional entity, a regional entity or any organization, and shall not be unreasonably restricted on the basis of technical qualifications or other such requirements.

• Inclusive — The regional reliability standards development procedure shall provide that any person with a direct and material interest has a right to participate by expressing an opinion and its basis, having that position considered, and appealing through an established appeals process if adversely affected.

• Balanced — The regional reliability standards development procedure shall have a balance of interests and shall not be dominated by any two interest categories and no single interest category shall be able to defeat a matter.

• Due Process — The regional reliability standards development procedure shall provide for reasonable notice and opportunity for public comment. At a minimum, the procedure shall include public notice of the intent to develop a standard, a public comment period on the proposed standard, due consideration of those public comments, and a ballot of interested stakeholders.

• Transparent — All actions material to the development of regional reliability standards shall be transparent. All standards development meetings shall be open and publicly noticed on the regional entity’s Web site.