The MRO Standards Committee’s (MRO SC) purpose is to ensure that MRO Reliability Standards are consistent with current NERC Reliability Standards.  The MRO SC ensures that all requests for new or modifications to MRO Standards are processed using MRO’s Standards Development Process.  The MRO SC will act as a resource for Stakeholders to learn more about the application of NERC Reliability Standards through communication, education, and training.

Key Objectives

• Recommend to the MRO Board, regional representatives for NERC security related, standards development and drafting related working groups and committees.
• Provide regular reports to the MRO Board on matters related to Reliability Standards and security efforts of the Standards Committee.
• Maintain standards development process documentation for regional Reliability Standards.
• Present new or modifications to existing MRO regional Reliability Standards to the board for adoption upon recommendation of the MRO Balloting Pool.
• Assign proposed regional Reliability Standards to a Standards Drafting Team.
• Periodically review NERC Reliability Standards and determine their impact and how they are applied to the Registered Entities.
• Provide non-binding assistance to stakeholders in understanding the application of the NERC Reliability Standards.
• Assist Stakeholders in gaining the understanding of the types of evidence needed to demonstrate compliance through examples.
• Oversee the development of application guides for approved mandatory standards.
• Review frequently occurring compliance violations to determine if there are any additional application guidelines that are needed or additional changes to standards or request interpretations.
• Provide education and training on effectively demonstrating compliance to Stakeholders through webinars, emails, conference calls, presentations, workshops, etc.
• Identify pools of subject matter experts in the industry to assist in the development of application guides, to provide evidence identification for NERC standards, to provide comments on standards and interpretations, and to provide voting positions.
• Provide a forum for Registered Entities to gather and share information and resources to increase the security posture in the region.
• Serve as an expert advisory group to the board in the areas of physical, operational and cyber security.
• Provide two-way communication between the region and the NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection Committee.