PUC Logo Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
PUC Electricity LogoHome PUC Electricity LogoElectricity PUC Gas LogoNatural Gas PUC Telecommunication LogoTelecommunications PUC Water LogoWater/Wastewater PUC Transportation & Safety LogoTransportation & Safety

Reliability

Start of the Breadcrumb.Home \ Electricity \ Reliability

On May 4, 2004, the PUC approved regulations to tighten reliability standards and reporting requirements for electric utilities. The new standards are geared toward ensuring that electric utility performance with regard to the number and duration of power outages does not decline and toward making it easier for regulators to spot areas where service may be slipping.

Under the new rules, large electric companies will have to stay within 10 percent of a PUC-established benchmark for a rolling three-year period and within 20 percent of the benchmark during a rolling 12-month period. Four smaller electric companies – UGI, Citizens’, Pike County and Wellsboro – also must stay within 10 percent of their benchmark for a rolling three-year period, but will be allowed to go up to 35 percent of the benchmark for the rolling 12-month period.

Benchmarks are the Commission’s goals for each utility on the number and duration of outages. Reliability is considered reasonable when the numbers fall between the benchmark and the percentage standards described above.

Electric Reliability Standards (52 Pa. Code §§ 57.191-57.197)

On May 22, 2008, the Commission approved final regulations, at Docket No. L-00040167, to require electric distribution companies to biennially file plans explaining their plans for inspection, maintenance, replacement, and repair of their facilities that are designed to meet their reliability performance benchmarks and standards.

For more information, use the Search for Public Documents feature at docket numbers M-00991220, L-00040167 and L-00030161.

Special Reliability Meeting


Meeting Notice and Agenda
The PUC will hold a Special Electric Reliability Forum on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011, to hear from the state’s electric utilities whose distribution systems were affected by Hurricane Irene.

The hearing is an offshoot of the PUC’s annual summer and winter reliability assessment meetings which are held in advance of the summer cooling and winter heating seasons. The forum will be held from 1:30 to 5 p.m. in Hearing Room 1. Press Release

Forum Audio

1:30 - 2:40 PM: Audio Clip - 2:45 to 4:45 PM: Audio Clip

Presentations

PUC Emergency Preparedness

Energy Association of PA

Pike County Light & Power

PPL Electric Utilities

Met-Ed Company

Penelec Company

PECO Energy Company

UGI Utilities


Winter Reliability Meeting


Meeting Notice and Agenda
The meeting announcement and agenda for the Winter Reliability Meeting on Thursday, November 9, 2011 at 1:30 PM in Hearing Room 1 at the Commonwealth Keystone Building in Harrisburg.

2011 Presentations

PUC's Energy Planning Section, Bureau of TUS

UGI Energy Services Inc.

Energy Association of Pennsylvania

Spectra Energy

UGI Utilities Inc.

 


Summer Reliability Meeting


Meeting Notice and Agenda
The meeting announcement and agenda for the Summer Reliability Meeting on Thursday, June 9, 2011 at 1:30 PM in Hearing Room 1 at the Commonwealth Keystone Building in Harrisburg. Press Release

2011 Presentations

PUC's Bureau of CEEP

PJM Interconnection

Energy Association of Pennsylvania

Electric Power Generation Association

Duquesne Light Company

 



Service Outage Response and Restoration Practices Proposed Rulemaking Order


Comments on the Proposed Rulemaking Order with respect to Service Outage Response and Restoration Practices, at Docket No. L-2009-2104274, and also in the matter of the Commission's Proposed Policy Statement with respect to Utility Service Outage Notification Guidelines at Docket No. M-2008-2065532, can be found on the Consumer Education page.

Proposed Rulemaking - Neutral Connection Inspection & Maintenance Standards


Neutral Connection

ANOPR Order - Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANOPR) for Revision of 52 Pa. Code Chapter 57 pertaining to adding Neutral Connection Inspection and Maintenance Standards for the EDCs. From the public meeting of July 17, 2008. Docket No. L-2008-2044821.

Neutral Connection Comments

Docket No. L-2008-2044821

Wellsboro Electric

PPL Electric Utilities Corporation

Energy Association of Pennsylvania

PECO Energy Company

Office of Consumer Advocate

Citizens Electric

Allegheny Power

Duquesne Light

Neutral Connection Reply Comments

Docket No. L-2008-2044821

FirstEnergy Companies

PECO Energy Company

Energy Association of Pennsylvania

Inspection and Maintenance Standards


On May 22, 2008, the Commission approved final regulations, at Docket No. L-00040167, to require EDCs to biennially file plans setting forth their plans for the periodic inspection, maintenance, repair and replacement of their facilities that are designed to meet their reliability benchmarks and standards. The regulations address vegetation management and inspection cycles for poles, overhead distribution lines, transformers, reclosers, substations and other critical system components.

Inspection and Maintenance Standards - Link to the Pa Code.

Electric Service Reliability Reports


The Commission publishes an annual report discusses the reliability performance of EDCs operating under the Commission’s jurisdiction within the Commonwealth. Although the reliability of the bulk transmission system is integral to the overall reliability of electric service, this report focuses on the reliability of the electric distribution system.

The data contained in this report was obtained from the quarterly and annual reliability reports submitted by the EDCs pursuant to the Commission’s regulations. These annual reports provide an assessment of electric service reliability for each EDC’s service territory.

Reports - Link to the Electric Reports page where the Electric Service Reliability Reports reside.

Electric Power Outlook


Each public utility which produces, generates, distributes, or furnishes electricity must annually submit to the Commission information concerning its future plans to meet its customers’ demands. The law requires the Commission to prepare a report summarizing and discussing the data provided on or before September 1, and submit the report to the General Assembly, the Governor, the Office of Consumer Advocate and each affected public utility. In compliance with the requirements of the public utility law, the Commission adopted regulations at 52 Pa. Code §§ 57.141—57.154.


Annual Resource Planning Report Regulations - Link to the Pa Code.


Electric Power Outlook Reports - The information contained in these reports includes a brief description of the existing generation, transmission and distribution system for each EDC, highlights of the past year, information on EDCs’ projections of peak load and a discussion of historical trends in electric utility forecasting. The reports were prepared by the PUC’s Energy Planning Section.
 


Disclaimer: All information that appears on this website is merely an electronic representation and is not the officially filed information. The official documents reside in the File Room of the Public Utility Commission in 2-North, on the second floor of the Commonwealth Keystone Building in Harrisburg and are available for public inspection during normal business hours