1. An electric utility shall, on or before March 1, 2020, and on or before March 1 of every third year thereafter, submit a natural disaster protection plan to the Commission. Two or more electric utilities that are affiliated through common ownership and that have an interconnected system for the transmission of electricity may submit a joint natural disaster protection plan. A natural disaster protection plan may be an amended version of a previous plan.2. An electric utility shall include in its natural disaster protection plan all of the following information: (a) A description of a risk-based approach used by the electric utility to identify areas within the service territory of the electric utility that are prone to different types of natural disasters and an identification of potential threats in the foreseeable future, including, without limitation, an identification of areas within the service territory of the electric utility that are subject to a heightened threat of a fire or other natural disaster.(b) A description of the preventive strategies and programs, including, without limitation, operational practices, inspections and corrections, and system hardening that the electric utility will adopt to minimize the risk of its electric lines and equipment causing catastrophic wildfires. In determining which preventive strategies and programs to include in the description required by this paragraph, the electric utility shall consider dynamic climate change and other natural disaster risks.(c) A description of the metrics that the electric utility plans to use to evaluate the performance of the natural disaster protection plan and the assumptions underlying the use of those metrics.(d) The threshold criteria for the de-energization of portions of the distribution and transmission system of the electric utility due to a natural disaster that considers the associated impacts on public safety.(e) The protocols that the electric utility plans to use: (1) For disabling reclosers and de-energizing portions of the distribution and transmission system of the electric utility that considers the associated impacts on public safety; and(2) To mitigate the public safety impacts of the protocols described in subparagraph (1), including, without limitation, impacts on critical first responders and on health and communication infrastructure.(f) A description of the procedures the electric utility intends to use to restore its distribution and transmission systems in the event of the de-energization of those systems or a portion of those systems.(g) A communication plan related to public safety outage management, which includes, without limitation, communication plans specific to customers, stakeholders and communication infrastructure providers. Before filing a natural disaster protection plan, each electric utility shall meet with communication infrastructure providers in an effort to develop a mutually agreeable plan for public safety outage management notification protocols and format.(h) A description of the standard for vegetation management to be used by the electric utility and, if that standard exceeds any other standard for vegetation management required by any applicable statute or regulation, a description of how and why the standard exceeds those requirements.(i) A description of the standard for patrols and detailed inspections of electric utility infrastructure and, if that standard exceeds any other standard for such patrols and inspections required by any applicable statute or regulation, a description of how and why the standard exceeds those requirements.(j) A description of the actions that the electric utility will take to ensure that its system will achieve a reasonable level of safety, reliability and resiliency and to ensure that its system is prepared for a natural disaster, including, without limitation, vegetation management, patrols, inspections, testing, and hardening and modernizing its infrastructure with improved engineering, system design, standards, equipment and facilities, such as undergrounding, insulation of distribution wires, pole replacement and other measures. An electric utility shall use prudent practices commonly used in the electric utility industry for utility design, operating practices and telecommunications to prevent its infrastructure from causing a fire and to maintain resiliency during a natural disaster.(k) An explanation that the electric utility has an adequately sized and trained workforce to execute the natural disaster protection plan and promptly restore service after a major event, taking into account employees of other utilities available to the electric utility pursuant to mutual aid agreements and employees of entities with which the electric utility has entered into contracts.(l) A description of how the natural disaster protection plan is consistent with the emergency response plan submitted by the electric utility pursuant to NRS 239C.270.(m) A description of the processes and procedures that the electric utility will use to monitor and audit the implementation of the natural disaster protection plan and to take actions to correct any deficiency that is identified.(n) A description of the participation of the electric utility, including, without limitation, any commitments made, in any community wildfire protection plans, as defined in 16 U.S.C. § 6511, established in this State.3. For each element that an electric utility is required by subsection 2 to include in its natural disaster protection plan, the electric utility shall include in its natural disaster protection plan: (a) An identification of how the element is expected to reduce: (1) Ignition events in high fire risk areas and extreme fire risk areas during critical fire weather conditions; and(2) Equipment damage and loss of power caused by a natural disaster;(b) A cost-benefit analysis for the element; and(c) The input relating to the element that has been provided by:(1) Each fire protection district in the service territory of the electric utility that is covered by the plan;(2) The office of emergency management for each county covered by the plan;(3) The Division of Forestry, Division of State Lands and Division of State Parks of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; and(4) The Division of Emergency Management of the Department of Public Safety.4. In addition to the information that an electric utility is required by subsections 2 and 3 to include in its natural disaster protection plan, the electric utility shall include in its natural disaster protection plan: (a) A summary of the projected 3-year budget for the natural disaster protection plan, an identification of the projected cost elements of the plan and the projected cost for each element that the electric utility is required by subsection 2 to include in the plan;(b) If two or more electric utilities submit a joint natural disaster protection plan, the proposed joint and direct allocation of costs between the service territories of the electric utilities; and(c) Annual data tracking trends associated with: (1) Ignition events, separated for ignition events:(I) During critical fire weather conditions and during all other days in high and extreme risk fire areas; and(II) The involvement of transmission or distribution infrastructure; and(2) Equipment damage and loss of power caused by natural disasters.Nev. Admin. Code § 704.Sec. 7
Added to NAC by Bd. of Exam'rs for Marriage & Fam. Therapists by R085-19A, eff. 2/20/2020NRS 703.025, 704.210, 704.7983