Md. Code Regs. 20.50.12.12

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 22, November 1, 2024

Section 20.50.12.12 - Major Outage Event Response Plan

A. Within 60 days of the effective date of this regulation, each utility shall file a major outage event response plan providing a description of and procedures for its response to major outage events, and performance measures associated with the assessment of the implementation of the major outage event response plan, including, but not limited, to the following topics and issues:

(1) Preparation, training, and drills;

(2) Early warning and storm tracking;

(3) Emergency organization structure;

(4) Activation and mobilization;

(5) Materials management and logistics;

(6) Major outage event restoration priorities, including, but not limited to:

(a) How the utility prioritizes restoration customers; and

(b) How the utility communicates with customers that are identified as high priority due to medical needs for electricity and how it schedules restoration actions for such customers;

(7) Damage assessment;

(8) Public safety, including wire down response;

(9) Crew deployment;

(10) External communications, including communications with emergency officials, the public, and other persons;

(11) Internal communications;

(12) Communications technology use, including high call volume capability and capacity;

(13) Development of estimated times of restoration and assessment of estimated times of restoration accuracy;

(14) Ramp-down; and

(15) Major outage event performance review.

B. Each utility shall file with the Commission any material change to its major outage event response plan at least 60 days prior to implementation, unless it will delay implementation of the change in a manner inconsistent with restoring service in the shortest time practicable, in which case the change shall be filed by no later than 30 days after implementing the change.

C. Each utility shall comply with its major outage event response plan when preparing for and responding to major outage events.

D. The major outage event response plan shall be filed as a publicly available document. To the extent that some information may be considered confidential, a redacted version shall also be filed.

E. Major outage event response plan information may be shared without restriction with state officials that participate in a Maryland Department of Emergency Management activation of the State Emergency Operations Center.

Md. Code Regs. 20.50.12.12

Regulation .12 amended effective 50:16 Md. R. 728, eff. 8/21/2023