On December 20, 2012, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved changes to the definition of the "bulk electric system" (BES). FERC Order No. 773 establishes the standards and processes by which the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and FERC will determine which elements of the electric system will be subject to, or excluded from, compliance with mandatory electric reliability standards. Significantly, FERC reserved to itself the case-by-case determination of which elements are "used in local distribution," and thereby excluded from FERC jurisdiction under Section 215 of the Federal Power Act. The Order becomes effective on March 5, 2013.

In this one-hour TeleBriefing, a distinguished panel of experts, including Van Ness Feldman's Malcolm McLellan, will address the practical implications of Order No. 773.