Iowa Admin. Code r. 199-27.9

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 5, September 4, 2024

Rule 199-27.9 - [Effective 9/11/2024] Notification of outages

(1)Notification. The notification requirements in this rule are for the timely collection of electric outage information that may be useful to emergency management agencies in providing for the safety and welfare of individual Iowa citizens. Each electric cooperative and municipal electric utility shall notify the commission when it is projected that an outage may result in a loss of service for more than six hours and the outage meets one of the following criteria:

a. Loss of service for more than six hours to substantially all of a municipality, including the surrounding area served by the same electric cooperative or municipal electric utility. An electric cooperative or municipal electric utility may use loss of service within the utility's service territory to 75 percent or more of customers within a municipality, including the surrounding area served by the utility, to meet this criterion;

b. A major event as defined in this chapter, except for notifications of emergency alerts from regional transmission organizations or independent system operators; or

c. Any other outage considered significant by the electric cooperative or municipal electric utility. This includes loss of service for more than six hours to significant public health and safety facilities known to the electric cooperative or municipal electric utility at the time of the notification.

(2)Information about outages.

a. Notification shall be provided regarding outages that meet the requirements of subrule 27.9(1) by notifying the commission duty officer by email at dutyofficer@iuc.iowa.govor, in appropriate circumstances, by telephone at 515.745.2332. Notification shall be made at the earliest possible time after it is determined the event may be reportable and should include the following information, as available:

(1) The general nature or cause of the outage;

(2) The area affected;

(3) The approximate number of customers that have experienced a loss of electric service as a result of the outage;

(4) The time when service is estimated to be restored; and

(5) The name of the electric cooperative or municipal electric utility, the name and telephone number of the person making the report, and the name and telephone number of a contact person knowledgeable about the outage. The notice should be supplemented as more complete or accurate information is available.

b. The electric cooperative or municipal electric utility is to provide to the commission updates of the estimated time when service will be restored to all customers able to receive service or of significantly changed circumstances, unless service is restored within one hour of the time initially estimated.

c. The electric cooperative or municipal electric utility is to notify the commission once service is fully restored to all customers after an outage meeting the requirements of subrule 27.9(1).

(3)Planned interruptions. Planned interruptions by electric cooperatives and municipal electric utilities are to be made at a time that will not cause an unreasonable inconvenience to customers. Adequate notice should be provided to customers that will be affected when a planned interruption lasts longer than one hour.

Iowa Admin. Code r. 199-27.9

Adopted by IAB August 25, 2021/Volume XLIV, Number 4, effective 9/29/2021

Amended by IAB August 7, 2024/Volume XLVII, Number 4, effective 9/11/2024